NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Avalanche vs Kings (Wednesday, October 11)

Avalanche vs Kings Odds

Following a fun triple-header to kick off the 2023-24 season on Tuesday, the NHL's opening week continues with a six-game slate on Wednesday night.

At Staples Center, the Los Angeles Kings will host the Colorado Avalanche (10 p.m. ET) for a good first test of two squads that are expected to be among the top playoff contenders in the Western Conference.

Both are stinging from first-round playoff exits last spring and looking to go farther this year — a journey that starts with Game 1. With not much to choose between the two sides, the Kings' budget-priced goaltending could make the difference against the Avalanche.

Find a betting preview, pick and prediction for Avalanche vs. Kings below.

Riddled with injuries last season as the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Avalanche still managed a first-place finish in the Central Division before being stunned by the Seattle Kraken in a first-round playoff upset.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog remains on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) while still dealing with the knee issue that kept him out of the lineup for all of last season. To make matters worse, backup goaltender Pavel Francouz is also starting on LTIR. That means it should be another busy year for Alexandar Georgiev, one of just two netminders who hit the 40-win mark in the 2022-23 season.

While the Avs blue line, led by Cale Makar, is unchanged from last season, there are plenty of new faces up front. Nathan MacKinnon's old junior-hockey running mate, Jonathan Drouin, has joined him on the top line. Ryan Johansen and Ross Colton have also stepped in to shore up the middle, and Miles Wood adds some sandpaper with his speedy, heavy game.

Colorado went 2-4-0 in pre-season play, with a -4 Goal Differential.

After two years of first-round playoff exits for the Los Angeles Kings, Rob Blake is continuing his pattern of adding one major piece up front each offseason. In 2021, Phillip Danault joined in free agency to support Anze Kopitar down the middle. Last year, the Kings acquired Kevin Fiala by trade to deliver a scoring punch.

And this summer, Blake pulled the trigger on perhaps the biggest deal of the summer when he brought in Pierre-Luc Dubois from Winnipeg in exchange for Gabe Vilardi, Alex Iafallo, Rasmus Kupari and a draft pick.

Blake also inked a two-year extension with bruising defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov after acquiring him from Columbus ahead of last spring's trade deadline.

Despite an arduous preseason schedule that saw their main group travel all the way to Australia for a pair of games, the Kings posted a solid 6-2-1 record in exhibition play, with a +2 Goal Differential. The roster is essentially healthy, although winger Viktor Arvidsson is dealing with an injury issue and is expected to be a game-time decision on Wednesday.

During pre-season, the club went with a three-goalie rotation. However, David Rittich was placed on waivers on Tuesday, so it looks like Cam Talbot and Pheonix Copley will be splitting duties between the pipes. Without much cap space to spare, the Kings have just $2.5 million in total tied up in the two 30-plus journeymen, neither of whom looked particularly sharp in preseason.

With most sportsbooks showing even odds for both teams on the moneyline for this game, the Kings' goaltending could end up being the difference on Wednesday.

The Avalanche will be looking to start the season strong, and while Georgiev's preseason numbers also weren't great, he was excellent during his first season with Colorado last year.

A moneyline bet on the road dogs at close to even money on most sportsbooks offers some nice value for an Avalanche win.