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The Colorado Avalanche take on the Vegas Golden Knights as each team opens its season Wednesday. Puck drop from T-Mobile Arena is set for 10 p.m. ET (TNT). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Avalanche vs. Golden Knights odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; VGK won 2-1 last season
The Avs enter the ’24-25 campaign with roughly the same squad they had last year. Winger Valeri Nichushkin is expected to miss most of the first month due to suspension, and captain Gabriel Landeskog continues to recover from a knee injury. But a team that has 2 of the top 5 players in hockey in C Nathan MacKinnon and RD Cale Makar really doesn’t need to do much. They acquired C Casey Mittelstadt from Buffalo at the deadline last year, and he had 10 points in 18 games with the club. Look for him to improve upon that after a career-high 18 goals last year.
The Knights lost 2023 playoff hero Jonathan Marchessault, C Chandler Stephenson, G Logan Thompson, D Alec Martinez and LW William Carrier in the offseason. So they are going to look very different, and their depth will be tested. They were 27-12-2 at home last season, and they’re still a team that garners respect.
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Avalanche at Golden Knights odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 1:03 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Avalanche -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Golden Knights -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Avalanche +1.5 (-275) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+220)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Avalanche at Golden Knights projected goalies
Alexandar Georgiev (38-18-5, 3.02 GAA, .897 SV% in ’23-24) vs. Adin Hill (19-12-2, 2.71 GAA, .909 SV% in ’23-24).
Georgiev was 1-1-1 with a 3.64 GAA and .876 SV% in 3 starts against VGK last year. Two of those were on the road, and he allowed 7 goals in one of them, 4 goals in another and shut them out at home. Wild inconsistencies like that are what you should expect from him.
Hill missed a big portion of last year due to injury, but after the team dealt Thompson in the offseason, he’s the unquestioned leader between the pipes. He was 2-0-0 with a 1.43 GAA and .954 SV% in 2 starts against the Avs last year.
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Avalanche at Golden Knights picks and predictions
Prediction
Avalanche 4, Golden Knights 3
Moneyline
The Knights have a big-time advantage in goal, but they have so many plug-and-play pieces across each of their lines. Meanwhile, the Avs know who they are and have been clicking for multiple years now. If you’re giving me a pick ’em opportunity, I’m going with the team with chemistry.
Take the AVALANCHE (-110).
Puck line/Against the spread
I’m keying on RW Mikko Rantanen here. He had 4+ SOG in all 3 meetings against Vegas last year. Worried about him starting slowly? He had 5 SOG in Game 1 last year.
Take MIKKO RANTANEN OVER 3.5 SHOTS ON GOAL (+115).
BetMGM has a 20% NHL boost for most users that pushes the odds to +138.
Over/Under
This is my least-favorite portion of this game’s handicap. It truly could go either way. The Over is just 3-7 in the last 10 meetings, but 2 of those Over cashes came last year. Last year, Colorado won its first game 5-2, and VGK won 4-1. You give me even money, and I will take the chance on OVER 6.5 (+100).
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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