The Vegas Golden Knights and the Colorado Avalanche square off in their final Western Conference round-robin game Saturday at 3 p.m. ET at Rogers Place in Edmonton. We analyze the Golden Knights-Avalanche NHL betting odds and lines, with picks and best bets.
Both teams are 2-0 in round-robin play and have clinched the top two seeds in the West. Saturday’s winner will earn the No. 1 seed and will face the 12th-seeded Chicago Blackhawks when the quarterfinals begin next week. Saturday’s loser will be the No. 2 seed and will play the 11th-seeded Arizona Coyotes in the next round.
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche: Projected starting goalies
Robin Lehner vs. Pavel Francouz/Philipp Grubauer
Lehner was tabbed for the team’s first start Monday, turning back 24 of his 27 shots to pick up a 5-3 win over the Dallas Stars. The second start went to Marc-Andre Fleury against the St. Louis Blues, and while he picked up a win, he made just 13 saves in the 6-4 victory. While it’s unofficial, Lehner is projected to be the starter. He made 28 saves on 31 shots in a 5-3 win at Colorado on Dec. 21 as a member of the Blackhawks, but he was also tattooed for five goals on 14 shots before getting pulled in Denver in a 7-3 loss on Nov. 30, so the results against the Avs are mixed.
Grubauer looked outstanding in a 2-1 win over the defending champion St. Louis Blues Sunday, stopping 31 of the 32 shots which came his way. Meanwhile, Francouz tossed a shutout in Game 2, turning back all 27 shots he faced against the Dallas Stars Wednesday. So, the Avalanche look to be equipped with two solid options in the crease as they look to make a deep run into the postseason. Coach Jared Bednar has a tough decision to make, but it’s a great problem to have. Expect the veteran to get the nod in this one, with Francouz serving as the understudy.
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Golden Knights vs. Avalanche: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 5:12 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Avalanche 4, Golden Knights 2
Moneyline (ML)
The AVALANCHE (-118) are the slight favorites. The Golden Knights (+100) have had to rally from a pair of two-goal deficits in their previous two outings to get to this point. Colorado has certainly struggled much less. Plus, Colorado has also won four straight in this series, so the LEAN HERE IS TO THE AVS.
New to sports betting? A winning $10 bet on the Avalanche returns a profit of $8.47, while a $10 play on the Golden Knights fetches a return of $10 if they prevail.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The AVALANCHE (-1.5, +225) are rolling right along, and they’re a strong value on the puck line as they look to lock up the top seed in the West. Give them the nod here with Colorado’s goaltender duo playing just a little bit better than that of Vegas (+1.5, -286).
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 5.5 (-121) is worth a small-unit play, although it might take a late empty-net goal to send this one Over. The last time these teams met it was a 7-3 rout for the Avs in Vegas, and the Oct. 25 game featured seven goals, mostly by Colorado in a 6-1 win. In fact, the Over has cashed in three straight meetings in this series.
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