The Colorado Avalanche have lost one of nine postseason games, easily dispatching the Los Angeles Kings and Minnesota Wild en route to the Western Conference final against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Avalanche sporting the shortest Stanley Cup odds at the BetMGM online sportsbook is about as surprising as seeing mountains skirting the Mile High City.
But will the Presidents’ Trophy winners finally meet their match against an in-form Golden Knights, who advanced to the final four for the fifth time in their nine-year history?
Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche Prediction: Western Conference Final Preview
The Golden Knights are 3-0 in overtime and 2-0 in series clinchers, outscoring the Anaheim Ducks and Utah Mammoth 10-2 in Game 6.
They’ve also shut the door defensively, with Carter Hart conceding two goals or fewer in six of the previous seven games. The Golden Knights have been rolling along since John Tortorella took the helm, with a 15-4-1 record, including 8-4 in the postseason.
They were 2-1 in Games 4 through 6 against the Ducks without captain Mark Stone, whose status is unknown for Wednesday’s Game 1 and beyond.
His presence is crucial if the Golden Knights are to slay the Avalanche, who represent a much more challenging proposition.
The Avalanche are 5-0 at home and 5-0 when they score the opening goal. They had 17 goal scorers in the second round against the Wild, tying the most in a single series.
They brushed aside a Wild team that had the seventh-best regular-season points percentage and won Game 5 despite trailing 3-0.
Their one discernible weakness from the regular season has, as expected, become an asset, with a power play rolling at 25%, the second-best rate among the remaining teams behind the Golden Knights (25.7%).
Speaking of the Golden Knights, they also have a superb penalty kill, ranking second (86.8%) behind the Carolina Hurricanes.
They’ll have to maintain their current effectiveness to upend the Avs. Despite the Golden Knights operating at the peak of their power, I believe the Avalanche have too much depth and too many weapons.
Unless Cale Makar is significantly hampered by his upper-body injury, I expect the Avalanche to advance and represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Final.
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Game 1 Odds, Spread, Over/Under
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Season Series
The Avalanche won two of three regular-season meetings, both in Sin City. The Golden Knights won the only contest in Colorado, and two of three tilts required overtime or a shootout.
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Season Stats
| Team | Goals For | Goals Against | Power Play % | Penalty Kill % | Home Record | Away Record |
| Golden Knights | 3.67 | 2.58 | 25.7 | 86.8 | 4-2 | 4-2 |
| Avalanche | 4.11 | 2.56 | 25 | 79.3 | 5-0 | 3-1 |
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche: Who’s Hot?
Nathan MacKinnon, the Conn Smythe Trophy odds front-runner, enters on a six-game goal-scoring streak. He has 12 points (six goals, six assists) in the previous six games, while Martin Necas tallied nine points against the Wild.
Mitch Marner is the focal point of the Golden Knights’ offence, and he leads the playoffs with 18 points (seven goals, 11 assists), with 15 in the previous seven games. Jack Eichel is also doing his part, with 15 points (one goal, 14 assists).
Hart was fantastic against the Ducks, with a 1.99 goals-against average (GAA) and .935 save percentage.
Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood shared the second-round duties, as they did for most of the regular season. I expect Wedgewood to get the nod in Game 1. He has a 7-1 record, a 2.21 GAA, and .914 save percentage.
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Best Bets
I’m backing the Avalanche to win the series 4-2. While the exact series score is an option at +375, I’m opting for the series spread. That way, the bet will still cash if the Avs win in fewer games.
The Avs leading the series 2-1 after three games is my best bet, and it has hockey odds of +100. The Golden Knights will not be a cakewalk, but I expect the Avs to have the narrow advantage entering Game 4.
Colorado averages 32.6 shots per game, the second most behind the Hurricanes. The Golden Knights allow 29.3 per contest, and I don’t see those averages changing much. Even if the Avs fire two fewer shots per game, I like Hart to make at least 20 stops in each contest.
- Avalanche -1.5 games: -102
- Avalanche 2-1 after 3 games: +100
- Carter Hart 20+ saves in each game: +115
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