The Vegas Golden Knights arrive in Denver to take on the Colorado Avalanche, having defeated the Nashville Predators on New Year’s Eve to end a two-game losing streak. The Avalanche have lost three straight games and will likely welcome Nathan MacKinnon back to the lineup on Monday night.
We’ll review the trends, stats, and odds to find the Golden Knights vs Avalanche Best Bets for Monday’s online betting ticket.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche Odds
Matchup Information
- Game: Vegas Golden Knights (25-12-2) vs. Colorado Avalanche (19-13-3)
- Where: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
- When: Monday, January 1st, 2023, 9 P.M. ET
- Watch: NHLPP | ESPN+ | Regional Broadcast Partners
Last Game Record
This is the second of three nhl schedule head-to-head matchups between these two NHL teams this season.
The Colorado Avalanche won the first NHL game 3-2 on October 22nd. Nathan MacKinnon, Evan Rodrigues, and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche, while Alexandar Georgiev made 33 saves to get the win. Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson scored for Vegas, while Logan Thompson made 22 saves in the loss.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche Analysis
The Vegas Golden Knights enter Monday’s matchup with a 25-12-2 record, ranking them first in the Pacific Division and fifth overall in the NHL standings. The Golden Knights have won three of their last five games, with three games hitting the over and one game hitting a total goals of 6, while two games ended in a 1.5-goal spread.
Vegas is 6-0 in the last six games against the Central Division, while the over is 4-1 in Vegas’ previous five games against the Central Division.
Chandler Stevenson leads the Golden Knights stats with 39 points (10 goals, 29 assists).
Offensively, the Golden Knights are ranked 11th, averaging 3.3 goals per game, while the powerplay is ranked 8th and converting at 25.2%. Defensively, the Golden Knights are solid, ranking 11th overall and averaging 2.8 goals against per game. However, Vegas struggles on the penalty kill ranked 19th, and operating at 77.2% efficiency.
Logan Thompson (16-9-1, 2.64 GAA, .915 SV%) has started the last five games for the Golden Knights. Thompson is the probable starter for the Golden Knights. However, if the Golden Knights give the start to Adin Hill, he has an 8-3-1 record, a 2.78 GAA, and a .899 SV%.
The Colorado Avalanche schedule has not been kind to the Avs recently, having lost the last three games in a row. The Avalanche enter Monday night’s matchup with a 19-13-3 record, ranking them fourth in the Central Division. In the previous five games, Colorado has hit the over in three, while two ended in a 1.5-goal spread.
The Avalanche are 0-4 in the last four games against competition with a .600 winning percentage or better, while the under is 5-0 in the last five games after the Avs score two goals or fewer in the previous game.
However, if you have been paying attention to the Colorado Avalanche this year, you know their defense of the Stanley Cup has struggled due to the names on the NHL injury report. Gabriel Landeskog has not played a game this season, while the Avs have been without Bowen Byram, Valeri Nichushkin, and Josh Manson for extended periods this season. While Pavel Francouz is listed as out, the Avs have recently reactivated Nathan MacKinnon from the injured reserve list.
The Avalanche are ranked 25th overall, averaging 2.9 goals per game. In contrast, the powerplay – which was once ranked atop the NHL before the Nichushkin and MacKinnon injuries – is ranked seventh overall, converting at 26.3%.
Defensively, the Avalanche have been good, which should give Av’s fans hope for the near future when injuries are less of a story for the Avalanche this season. Colorado is ranked 12th overall, giving up 2.8 goals per game. At the same time, the penalty kill has been the weakest part of the Avalanche’s game, is ranked 20th, and operating at 75.4% efficiency.
Mikko Rantanen leads the Avalanche with 45 points (24 goals, 21 assists).
With Pavol Francouz (4-5-0, 2.80 GAA, .913 SV%) listed as out, we expect the Avalanche to start number-one goalie Alexandar Georgiev (15-8-3, 2.66 GAA, .915 SV%) against Vegas. If the Avalanche doesn’t start Georgiev, then they will turn to Jonas Johansson, who has only made one appearance in relief this season, making seven saves in 23:15 of ice time.
Odds Breakdown
The total goals line for our Golden Knights vs Avalanche Best Bets is listed from 5.5 to 6.5 depending on the sportsbook. However, we will use a total goals line of 6 goals for our betting preview.
With the total goals listed at six goals, the over is listed with odds between -117 and -120, while the under is listed between +100 and -103. The Golden Knights have a 17-20-2 over/under record, while the Avalanche have a 13-21-1 over/under record.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights are the moneyline favorite, listed between +130 and +148. Vegas has a 25-14 straight-up moneyline record.
Vegas is listed at +1.5 on the puck line spread, with odds between -180 and -200. The Golden Knights have a 19-21 record against the spread.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado is the moneyline favorite listed between -155 and -170. The Avalanche have a 19-16 straight-up moneyline record.
The Avs are listed at -1.5 on the puck line spread, with odds between +148 and +160. Colorado has a 14-21 record against the spread.
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche Betting Pick and Prediction
The first of our NHL picks and Golden Knights vs Avalanche best bets is to take the Vegas Golden Knights as the unexpected underdog on the moneyline. While the Avs are getting healthier, and MacKinnon’s return will be big, the Golden Knights should win this one on the road. Especially considering the road team is 4-0 in the last four matchups between these two teams and Vegas is 15-5 in the last 20 road games.
Since we’re taking the Golden Knights to win straight-up, the second of our Golden Knights vs Avalanche best bets is to take the Golden Knights to cover the +1.5 goal spread. We expect this game to be close, so even with an Avalanche win, we expect Vegas to cover the spread.
The final of our Golden Knights vs Avalanche best bets is to follow the betting trends and take the under.
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