The Colorado Avalanche (34-18-7) drop the puck against the Anaheim Ducks (24-29-7) Friday at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif., at 10 p.m. ET. We analyze the Avalanche-Ducks sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Avalanche at Ducks: Projected starting goalies
Pavel Francouz vs. John Gibson
Francouz has cruised to a 14-5-3 record with a 2.44 goals against average and .923 save percentage in 21 starts and 24 appearances overall. He has won three of his past four starts, and hasn’t lost in regulation in five starts since a 1-0 loss on the road against the Islanders Jan. 6. He is 1-0-1 with a 2.45 GAA and .909 SV% in the past two starts in place of the injured Philipp Grubauer (lower body).
Gibson is 17-23-4 with a 2.99 GAA and .904 SV% in 44 starts, including a 10-10-1 home record with a 2.79 GAA, .908 SV% and his lone shutout. He hasn’t faced the Avs this season, but he went 2-0-0 with a 2.01 GAA and .943 SV% in two starts vs. them last season.
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Avalanche at Ducks: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 12:40 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Ducks 4, Avalanche 3
Moneyline (ML)
The DUCKS (+135) are worth a roll of the dice considering they have won each of the past three meetings in this series. That includes a dominating 5-2 win in Denver back on Oct. 26. The public is all over the Avalanche (-167) despite the fact they’re just 7-19 in the past 26 in Anaheim, and 17-35 in the previous 52 meetings overall. The underdog is also 5-2 in the past seven in this series.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Ducks to win returns a profit of $13.50, while a $10 wager on the Avalanche results in a profit of $5.99.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The Ducks (+1.5, -200) are not worth the risk, as you need to put up two times the return. For the Avalanche (-1.5, +165), they’re a nice value if you like them, but they have had their troubles against the Ducks, so they’re not the play for me.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 5.5 (-134) is the way to go, hitting in four of the past five games in this series. While the Avs have seen the Under hit in seven of the past eight overall, including 7-0 in the past seven as a favorite, the Over is still the way to go. That’s because the Over is 5-2 in the past seven at home for Anaheim, and 4-1 in the past five against winning teams.
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