The Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche meet in Game 2 of the NHL Western Conference Finals tonight. Puck drop is set for 8:00 p.m. ET at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN.
The Avalanche are priced at +130 to cover the puck-line (-1.5), with the over/under set at 6 (-120o/+100u). The Avalanche are a -200 favorite to win outright, while the Golden Knights are +165 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Golden Knights vs. Avalanche predictions and NHL picks.
Golden Knights vs Avalanche Prediction
- Golden Knights vs Avalanche Picks: Avalanche Moneyline/Knights Team Total Under 2.5 Parlay (+185 | Play to -105)
My best bet for Avalanche vs. Golden Knights is a parlay combining the Colorado ML and Vegas under team total. For updated odds, visit our NHL odds page.
Golden Knights vs Avalanche Odds
| Golden Knights Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -155 | 6 -120o / 100u | +165 |
| Avalanche Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +130 | 6 -120o / 100u | -200 |
- Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Spread: Golden Knights +1.5 (-155), Avalanche -1.5 (+130)
- Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Over/Under: 6 (-120o / +100u)
- Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Moneyline: Golden Knights +165, Avalanche -200
Golden Knights vs Avalanche NHL Kalshi Odds
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Golden Knights vs Avalanche NHL Betting Preview
Vegas Golden Knights Betting Preview
Relative to the strength of the Avalanche, the Knights authored a sound performance on the road in Game 1, even considering that Colorado did come on quite strongly after an evenly contested first period. They looked worthy of a bet to me at opening numbers in the +165 range prior to confirmation that Cale Makar would be sidelined, but as with many underdogs in that price range, they did require some favorable breaks in order to close out the win.
The Knights checked Colorado’s top stars quite well early on in the game and leaned on Carter Hart to make a lot of medium-danger saves prior to earning a multi-goal lead before Colorado started to really dominate the run of play once score effects took hold. They were clinical in capitalizing on the defensive breakdowns that were made by the Avs, but did generate only seven high-danger scoring chances.
The approach that head coach John Tortorella's physical, stingy side will look to employ in this series feels quite apparent. Grind games into a low-event slog, and give Carter Hart a chance to face mainly pressured shots and looks from the outside.
From January 1st until the end of the regular season, the Golden Knights led the NHL with an xGA/60 rating of 2.92. That metric correlates strongly with postseason success, as the previous seven Stanley Cup-winning teams have averaged a rank of 5.42 in xGA/60, while the remaining four teams ranked second, third, fifth and 22nd this season.
The Knights' defensive play, coupled with Hart's current form, should give them a fighting chance in this series. However, offensively, they will likely lean heavily on a highly effective power-play unit to find success and will need their top two lines, without Mark Stone, to produce somewhat evenly with Colorado's.
The Knights' bottom six looks to be a clear weakness relative to Colorado's. The Knights' fourth line has not been effective this postseason, while the third line has also not been overly effective, though Tomas Hertl has started to offer a slightly elevated level of play over the last four matchups.
Hart has played to a +6.3 GSAx rating and a .918 save percentage this postseason and has been razor-sharp following a shaky start in Round 1.
Goaltending and bad results in overtime/3-on-3 were the greatest reasons for Vegas's disappointing 95-point regular season, so it's no surprise that it has become much more formidable now that it is suddenly receiving dominant play in goal.
Colorado Avalanche Betting Preview
A highly frustrated Nathan MacKinnon pointed out the team's lack of execution after Game 1, which seemed like a fair take. There were many sequences where it was highly apparent just how good the Avs' are, but they did make some sloppy mistakes defensively, and were not entirely in sync when they did catch the Knights out of position defensively.
Head coach Jared Bednar shook up his top-six in the third period of Game 1, and those lines reportedly may stay in place. Arturri Lehkonen was elevated to Martin Necas's spot on the top line alongside MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog, while Necas moved to the second unit alongside Brock Nelson and Val Nichushkin.
If Makar is to remain sidelined, the Knights arguably hold a superior defensive core, but Colorado’s depth up front has been a major strength this postseason and offers a clear edge.
Coming out of Round 2, there was a lot of talk about how Minnesota's top stars, namely Kirill Kaprizov, were not good enough and were outplayed by Colorado's superstars. While there was some truth to that, Colorado's bottom six was dominant and significantly outplayed Minnesota's.
Sam Malinski did not have his best performance in Game 1, which made the loss of Makar more significant. Malinski was excellent in the regular season when Makar was sidelined, though, and should be capable of authoring a much sharper performance to help mask the absence of Makar.
Scott Wedgewood had a steady performance in stopping 24 of 27 shots in Game 1, with Dylan Coghlan's goal being the only one that he'd like to have back. He holds a +1.5 GSAx this postseason and a .911 save percentage.
Golden Knights vs Avalanche NHL Pick
The Knights did not generate a ton of possession or scoring chances in Game 1, but were clinical when the Avs did make meaningful defensive mistakes. Colorado was one of the best defensive teams in the league, though, and has been sharp in that regard this postseason, and as they look to bounce back in this critical game, they should offer a more structured performance.
While Jack Eichel and Mitch Marner have been this postseason, looking at the matchups specific to this series, Vegas could prove to be fairly one-dimensional offensively.
Backing the Avalanche to win while allowing less than three goals prices out at +105 on bet365, and that is my favorite play on the board from this matchup.
Backing Lehkonen to record a point at +110 also looks enticing from a prop angle, but I'm hoping to confirm Colorado's potential line changes before locking that bet in.
Pick: Avalanche Moneyline/Knights Team Total Under 2.5 Parlay (+185, HardRock | Play to -105)
