The Colorado Avalanche will meet the Florida Panthers at FLA Live Arena. Skate in Miami with us as we share our NHL odds series, make an Avalanche-Panthers prediction and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Avalanche are coming off a pitiful 5-0 shellacking at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Initially, the Avs trailed 1-0 entering the second period but watched the game slip away when they allowed three goals in the second frame. Colorado also could not get anything past goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who stopped all 30 of their shots. Additionally, the Avalanche won only 31 percent of their faceoffs and went 0 for 2 on the powerplay.
The Panthers are coming off a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Significantly, both Sam Reinhart and Eric Staal had two goals. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 33 saves to preserve the win. Amazingly, the Panthers slapped 42 shots. Also, they killed off all three penalties and leveled 28 hits.
The Avalanche enter this contest with a record of 27-19-4. Also, they are 14-10-1 on the road. The Avalanche are 7-2-1 over their previous 10 games and clinging to the third-place spot in the Central Division. Meanwhile, the Panthers enter this contest with a record of 26-22-6. Florida is also 15-7-3 at home. Additionally, they are 6-2-2 over their past 10 games. The Panthers are two points behind the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference and find themselves battling to try and make the postseason.
The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 5-4 at Ball Arena last month. Significantly, the teams have split the last five games.
Here are the Avalanche-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Avalanche-Panthers Odds
Colorado Avalanche: +1.5 (-230)
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+184)
Over: 6.5 (-110)
Under: 6.5 (-110)
How To Watch Avalanche vs. Panthers
TV: ESPN+, TVAS, BSFL, ASL
Stream: NFL+
Time: 6 PM ET/3 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Avalanche Could Cover The Spread
The Avalanche are already without Gabriel Landeskog, who has been out since the preseason. Now, they are without Cale Makar, who suffered a concussion this week. Landeskog will return in mid-to-late February, according to recent reports. Also, Makar will return this week when the Avalanche return home. But for now, the Avs must play without them.
Mikko Rantanen is the leader here, with 34 goals and 27 assists, including seven powerplay conversions. Likewise, Nathan MacKinnon has 14 goals and 41 assists. But there are not many other options on this offense. Therefore, it makes things bleak when neither Rantanen or MacKinnon produces. The Avalanche are 24th in goals and 27th in shooting percentage. Conversely, they are 11th on the powerplay.
Alexander Georgiev is likely the starting goalie for this showdown. Significantly, he is 20-12-3 with a goals-against average of 2.67 and a save percentage of .917. The Avs are seventh in goals allowed. However, they are 22nd on the penalty kill.
The Avalanche will cover the spread if they can capitalize on their chances and draw some penalties. Also, they must avoid taking penalties.
Why The Panthers Could Cover The Spread
The Panthers are not enjoying the season. Likewise, they are in danger of missing the playoffs and must perform better. But they still have the weapons that can make a difference on any night.
Matthew Tkachuk is their best weapon, with 27 goals and 44 assists, with 10 powerplay goals. Meanwhile, Alexander Barkov has 14 goals and 33 assists, with seven conversions on the extra-man attack. Carter Verhaeghe has 28 goal and 19 assists, with six powerplay markers. Additionally, defenseman Brandon Montour has 10 goals and 34 assists, with three markers on the powerplay. The Panthers are third in goals and 10th on the powerplay. However, they are 20th in shooting percentage. Florida must do better in shot conversion.
Bobrovsky will likely make the start. Significantly, he is 14-13-2 with a goals-against average of 3.02 and a save percentage of .902. The Panthers are pitiful on defense, ranking 26th in goals allowed. Also, they are 25th on the penalty kill. These factors contribute to why the Panthers are struggling this season. Ultimately, they are scoring plenty of goals. But they are also allowing more goals. Therefore, the loss of MacKenzie Weegar probably has played a role in the drop in defense.
The Panthers will cover the spread if they can generate points early and build a lead. Then, they must stop MacKinnon and Rantanen and force the Avs to go elsewhere.
Final Avalanche-Panthers Prediction & Pick
The Avalanche are hurting right now. Meanwhile, the Panthers are healthy. Expect Florida to take advantage of this and generate some scoring chances. Therefore, the Panthers will cover the spread and win this game.
Final Avalanche-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+184)
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