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The Colorado Avalanche (1-4-0) take on the San Jose Sharks (0-3-2) Sunday. Puck drop from the SAP Center at San Jose is set for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Avalanche vs. Sharks odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; The Avs won 3-0 last season
The Avs secured their 1st win of the season with a thrilling 4-3 OT home win against the Anaheim Ducks Friday. The Avs entered as -270 favorites looking like a shoo-in to finally get their 1st win and dominated in the 1st period. They outshot the Ducks 18-8, yet found themselves down 2-0. They battled back with 3 straight goals before ultimately folding with 13 seconds left in regulation. C Nathan MacKinnon ended it with just 41 seconds to go in OT.
The Sharks remained winless after the Winnipeg Jets paid homage to the late Dikembe Mutumbo and finger-wagged “No, no, not today!” The Jets pummeled the visiting Sharks 8-3 Friday, covering as heavy -399 favorites. San Jose RW Tyler Toffoli scored his team-leading 4th goal of the season in the loss.
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Avalanche at Sharks 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 13:14 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Avalanche -300 (bet $300 to win $100) | Sharks +240 (bet $100 to win $240)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Avalanche -1.5 (-110) | Sharks +1.5 (-110)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Avalanche at Sharks projected goalies
Justus Annunen (0-1-0, 4.69 GAA, .765 SV%) vs. Vitek Vanecek (0-2-0, 2.63 GAA, .892 SV%)
G Alexandar Georgiev (1-3-0, 4.99 GAA, . 811 SV%) could get the start here, but he has started all 5 games. Annunen has seen spot duty in 2 games, stopping 11 of 13 shots in 1 game and 2 of 4 in another.
Vanecek started Thursday’s 4-2 loss at the Chicago Blackhawks and stopped 23 of 27 shots. He was pressed into duty Friday after G MacKenzie Blackwood (0-1-2, 4.88 GAA, .875 SV%) allowed 5 goals to Winnipeg in the first 22 minutes. Vanecek stopped 15 of 18 shots in relief. Vanecek was 1-1-0 with a 4.05 GAA and .884 SV% against Colorado last season.
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Avalanche at Sharks picks and predictions
Prediction
Avalanche 6, Sharks 3
Moneyline
It’s story time. I watched Friday’s Avs-Ducks game waiting for Anaheim to get a lead to drop Colorado’s ML from an unplayable level at -270. When the Ducks got ahead 1-0, I bet Colorado at -115. The Avs went down 2-0 and made me sweat a little bit, but they eventually prevailed.
That’s the only way you can play this one as well. The Avs (-300) should beat the Sharks, but you can’t risk 3 times your return for it.
Instead, I’m going with CASEY MITTELSTADT OVER 2.5 SHOTS (+120). He has goals in 4 of 5 games and at least 3 shots in 4 of 5, too.
Puck line/Against the spread
I’m not touching an Avs puck line (-1.5, -110) at minus odds right now. The Sharks are without No. 1 pick C Macklin Celebrini (lower body), but they are hungry and on home ice.
PASS.
Over/Under
Both of these teams are battling significant goalie issues. Colorado is 4-0-1 O/U, and San Jose is 2-2-1. The Over is 5-4-1 in the last 10 head-to-head meetings, and we’ve seen 7+ goals in 3 of 4 in San Jose.
TAKE OVER 6.5 (-110).
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