The Colorado Avalanche have the highest-scoring line in the NHL, but they don’t always get good goaltending. That’s why they are in a bit of a funk now. The Avs opened as a pick’em on NHL odds for Wednesday’s home game against San Jose.
Sharks at Avalanche NHL Odds & Game Info
Donskoi! Again! pic.twitter.com/8VmWf83BYd
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) 1 de enero de 2019
- When: Wednesday, 9:30 PM ET
- Where: Pepsi Center, Denver
- TV: NBC Sports Network
- Radio: Tunein.com
- NHL Odds: Avalanche -110 / Sharks -110 (Total 6)
Team Records
- All: Sharks 21-13-7 / Avalanche 19-13-8
- Home: Sharks 12-4-4 / Avalanche 8-5-5
- Away: Sharks 9-9-3 / Avalanche 11-8-3
- ATS: Sharks 15-26 / Avalanche 20-20
- Over/Under: Sharks 24-16-1 / Avalanche 20-20
Season Series
First Meeting. Last year, the Avs took two of three but lost the last meeting late in the regular season, 4-2 in San Jose. Logan Couture had the go-ahead goal in the third, and Justin Braun, Tomas Hertl and Joonas Donskoi also scored for the Sharks. Martin Jones stopped 23 shots for the Sharks. Jonathan Bernier saved 32 for the Avalanche. Colorado got goals from Mikko Rantanen and Blake Comeau.
Why Bet on San Jose?
The Sharks had a two-game winning streak snapped Monday in an 8-5 loss at Calgary. The Flames never trailed and finished 2018 atop the Pacific Division, two points up on Vegas and three ahead of the Sharks. The Sharks lost in regulation for just the second time in 11 games (7-2-2).
Joonas Donskoi scored a pair of goals in the loss. They were both scored at even strength and they were Donskoi’s eighth and ninth of the season. In 2018-19, he has amassed nine goals and 20 points. Brent Burns scored a goal and an assist. Burns’ power-play goal cut the Flames’ lead to 3-2 early in the second frame. He also added an assist on Joe Thornton’s power-play tally in the third frame. Burns finished the game with an ugly minus-4 rating and eight shots on goal in 26:10 of ice time. The 33-year-old has six goals and 40 points in 41 games this season.
It was a night to forget for Aaron Dell as he allowed eight goals on 27 shots. His record fell to 5-5-3 with a 3.10 GAA and a .889 save percentage. Probably will be Martin Jones in this one.
“Every time we scored they answered. Pucks were just finding ways in the net. It was one of those weird nights where everything that was kind of directed at the net found the way in. They made a couple nice plays along the way, but a lot of tips and pucks in the air finding ways in,” Joe Pavelski said.
Thornton passed Brendan Shanahan for 17th in NHL games played (1,525). Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson has 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) in his 10-game point streak. Forward Tomas Hertl has six points (four goals, two assists) in a four-game point streak.
Why Bet on Colorado?
The Avalanche lost their fifth straight game on Monday, 3-2 in overtime vs. the Kings. Dustin Brown scored on a breakaway 56 seconds into overtime. Brown gathered in a pass from Jake Muzzin in the Avalanche zone and skated between the circles before sending a wrist shot past the stick of goalie Semyon Varlamov for the winner.
Nathan MacKinnon scored his 24th goal of the season in the loss. MacKinnon scored 32 seconds into the third period to cut the Kings lead to one goal. In 2018-19, he has 24 goals and 59 points in 40 games. Carl Soderberg got the game-tying goal in the final two minutes of regulation. He didn’t have a point in his previous seven outings and hadn’t scored a goal since Dec. 6. Soderberg has 23 points in 40 matches this campaign.
Varlamov allowed three goals on 18 shots. His record dropped to 11-8-5 with a 2.80 GAA and a .912 save percentage in 2018-19. Colorado’s Tyson Barrie is one shy of tying John-Michael Liles (275) for most points by a defenseman in Avalanche franchise history.
At least the Avalanche were able to salvage a point by taking the game to overtime after trailing 2-0 going into the third period. The Avs outplayed Los Angeles for most of the game, but they were done in by a lack of urgency for the first two periods as well as a lopsided goaltending matchup.
The Avalanche is a speedy, offense-driven team. The current format of the overtime should favor a team like the Avs. Yet they’ve won only once in overtime. They’ve lost eight times, though once was in the shootout.
Sharks at Avalanche NHL Betting Trends
- Over is 8-1-1 in the last 10 meetings
- Over is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings in Colorado
- Home team is 36-16 in the last 52 meetings
- San Jose is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games
- The total has gone OVER in 4 of San Jose’s last 6 games
- Colorado is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Colorado’s last 7 games
- Sharks are 20-9 in the last 29 meetings
- Sharks are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings in Colorado
Expert NHL Betting Prediction for Sharks at Avalanche
Avalanche end losing streak.
