There is a busy NHL schedule today with many games to help bring us out of American Thanksgiving. Chief amongst them is a Central Division matchup between the Nashville Predators and the Colorado Avalanche. Both teams are entering Friday after losses on November 23rd.
This season, this is the second of four head-to-head matchups between the Avalanche and Predators. These two teams met on November 10th, with the Colorado Avalanche defeating the Nashville Predators 5-3.
We’ll get you ready and provide our Avalanche vs Predators picks for puck drop, scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET on Friday, November 25th, from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. You can catch this game on ESPN+ or NHL PP.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators Odds
As of publication, there were no NHL odds available. That won’t stop us from making our Avalanche vs Predators picks and giving you some odds-based insight. We recommend checking closer to puck drop for the odds and the starting goalies.
If we take NHL standings into consideration, the Colorado Avalanche will be the moneyline favorite, while the Nashville Predators will be the underdog. Nashville has a 9-11 straight-up moneyline record, while Colorado has an 11-6 straight-up moneyline record.
The Predators will be listed at +1.5 on the puck line spread, while the Avalanche will be listed at -1.5 on the puck line spread. Nashville has a 7-13 record against the spread, while the Avalanche has a 10-7 record against the spread.
We’d expect the total goals line to be listed at six or, more likely, 6.5 goals, which is standard on most NHL matchups. The Avalanche have a 7-10 over/under record, while the Predators have a 9-11 over/under record.
Matchup Information
Avalanche vs. Predators Betting Preview
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche enter Friday night’s matchup with an 11-6-1 record. The Colorado Avalanche standings aren’t as important yet, but the Avs are ranked second in the Central Division.
The Avalanche have won three of their last five matchups, having a three-game winning streak snapped in their previous game. Four of Colorado’s last five games have ended in a one-goal spread, while only one game exceeded 6 or 6.5 goals.
In their last matchup, the Colorado Avalanche lost to the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on November 23rd. Mikko Rantanen scored twice, and Cale Makar scored, adding a third goal for the Avs, while Pavel Francouz made twenty-one saves in the loss. Notably, two of the Avalanche’s goals came on their league-best powerplay.
The Avalanche’s NHL stats are very impressive, save for one aspect of their game: the penalty kill. While the penalty killers are slowly rising in the NHL stats, killing off 77.4% of the Avs penalties, giving up fourteen powerplay goals.
Colorado is averaging 3.44 goals per game on 32.6 shots. The Avs are averaging 2.56 goals against per game on 33.1 shots. The Avalanche have the best powerplay in the NHL, scoring twenty-two powerplay goals and converting on 34.4% of their chances.
With Pavel Francouz starting in the Avs’ last game, we expect Alexandar Georgiev to get the start against the Predators. Georgiev has a 9-2-1 record with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .929 save percentage.
The Colorado Avalanche’s NHL injury report is among the most interesting in the league. The Avs will be significantly better when they finally get Gabriel Landeskog and Samuel Girard back from injury.
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators enter Friday’s matchup with the Avalanche with a 9-9-2 record. Nashville has won three of their last five games but has alternated wins and losses over their last four games. Four of the Nashville Predators’ last five games have finished in a one-goal spread, while two games have exceeded 6 or 6.5 total goals.
In their last matchup, the Predators lost to the Detroit Red Wings 3-0 on November 23rd. Kevin Lankinen made twenty-six shots in the loss. Filip Forsberg leads the Nashville Predators scoring list with nineteen points (seven goals, twelve assists).
The Nashville Predators don’t have any players that will be near the top of the NHL players stats rankings, and neither will their team stats. The Predators are averaging 2.55 goals per game on 30.0 shots while giving up 3.20 goals against per game on 33.1 shots.
The Predators’ special teams are average at best. Nashville’s powerplay has scored thirteen points, converting on 16.7% of their powerplay chances. At the same time, the penalty kill is more efficient than the Avs, but they have given up the same amount of powerplay goals against (fourteen powerplay goals and an 80.6 penalty kill efficiency).
With Lankinen getting the start against the Red Wings, we expect the Predators to start Juuse Saros. Saros has a 7-6-2 record, with a 3.06 goals against average and a .905 save percentage.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators Betting Preview
First, if you are playing a prop bet on the Colorado Avalanche as a team, our NHL picks is to take the Avs to score on the powerplay.
Second, we’ll take the Colorado Avalanche to win on the moneyline. Colorado is the better team and is better when Alexandar Georgiev is in the net. We’ll take the Avalanche to win on the moneyline over the Predators.
One of our NHL picks is to take the under if it is listed at 6.5 goals. We’re staying away from picking on the spread because we don’t have odds as of publication.
We’d side with the Predators to cover the spread of +1.5, considering both teams’ recent performances and the fact that the Avalanche covered the spread against the Predators in their first matchup.
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