- The Colorado Avalanche are -145 road favourites in Game 7.
- The Dallas Stars have +120 odds to prevail at American Airlines Center.
- The over/under is set at 5.5 total goals.
The hotly-contested first-round series between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche will be determined by the two greatest words in the Stanley Cup playoffs: Game 7.
Colorado evened the series at three games apiece on Thursday night, scoring four third-period goals to emerge from Ball Arena with a 7-4 victory.
Before the series shifts back to Dallas’ American Airlines Center on Saturday night, I’ll examine the latest NHL odds and pick out my best Avalanche vs. Stars hockey bets for Game 7.
Avalanche vs. Stars Odds: Game 7
- Avalanche spread: -1.5
- Stars spread: +1.5
- Total: 5.5
Avalanche vs. Stars Series Winner Odds
After evening the series on home ice, the Avalanche saw their odds to win the series shorten from +170 to -145 at the BetMGM online sportsbook. That number gives Colorado an implied probability of 59.2% to win Game 7 on the road.
Meanwhile, Dallas’ series winner odds lengthened from -210 to +120, implying a 45.5% chance of advancing to Round 2.
Avalanche series winner odds: -145
Stars series winner odds: +120
Avalanche vs. Stars Predictions & Best Bets for Game 7
The Avalanche have been the better team for most of this series, but I have a hard time understanding why they have the fourth-best NHL odds to win the Stanley Cup when six other teams have already secured a spot in Round 2.
Meanwhile, Colorado faces the prospect of a Game 7 in Dallas, where it dropped Games 2 and 5. The Stars also have plenty of experience in this situation, having won a home Game 7 in each of the last two postseasons under head coach Peter DeBoer, who owns an 8-0 career record in Game 7s. Those eight wins are the most without a defeat of any coach in NHL history.
I’ve gone back and forth on who I like to prevail on Saturday night, but I’m taking the Stars (+120) on home ice. I previously picked Colorado to win the series twice at plus-money odds, so this wager will also act as a hedge on those series futures.
Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger has been terrific in Game 7s, winning two of three and allowing just five goals on 113 shots (.956 SV%). Meanwhile, his opposite number, Mackenzie Blackwood, will make his first career Game 7 start in a raucous environment after showing some cracks the past two games (nine goals allowed on 44 shots).
Despite Blackwood’s recent struggles, I’m backing under 5.5 goals (-110) in this contest. The NHL’s seven most recent Game 7s have gone under this total dating back to 2023, including Dallas’ home victories over the Seattle Kraken (2023) and Vegas Golden Knights (2024). With so much at stake, teams tend to play more conservatively, leading to fewer scoring opportunities.
Avalanche vs. Stars Series Schedule
| Game | Date | Time | Arena |
| Game 1 | April 19 | 8:30 p.m. ET | American Airlines Center |
| Game 2 | April 21 | 9:30 p.m. ET | American Airlines Center |
| Game 3 | April 23 | 9:30 p.m. ET | Ball Arena |
| Game 4 | April 26 | 9:30 p.m. ET | Ball Arena |
| Game 5 | April 28 | 9:30 p.m. ET | American Airlines Center |
| Game 6 | May 1 | 9:30 p.m. ET | Ball Arena |
| Game 7 | May 3 | 8 p.m. ET | American Airlines Center |
Avalanche vs. Stars Playoff History
The Avalanche and Stars have plenty of shared playoff history, as this will be the seventh postseason meeting between the franchises.
Dallas has prevailed in four of these series, including the last two.
