Red Wings vs Avalanche Prediction: NHL Odds, Preview (Wednesday, March 6)
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) Pictured: Nathan MacKinnon
Red Wings vs. Avalanche Prediction, Odds
| Red Wings Odds | +160 |
| Avalanche Odds | -192 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -115 / -105 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Detroit Red Wings vs. Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday, March 6 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Back in the 90s, playoff clashes between the Detroit Red Wings and the Colorado Avalanche were some of the most intense in hockey history.
Now in different conferences, the juice isn't quite there anymore, but the stars certainly came to play when Patrick Kane's overtime goal gave the Red Wings a 2-1 win at Little Caesars Arena a couple of weeks ago.
Look for the Avalanche to exact revenge when the two sides clash again in Denver on Wednesday. My Red Wings vs. Avalanche pick is belowl
The Buffalo Sabres and Ottawa Senators got more hype as the next big thing in the Atlantic Division heading into the season, but it's the Red Wings who have seized the brass ring in head coach Derek Lalonde's second year behind the bench.
Heading into Tuesday's games, the Red Wings are six points clear of the playoff cutline thanks to a recent six-game winning streak. But a dose of adversity has hit as they've lost their past two games, to the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers, and captain Dylan Larkin is now sidelined for two weeks with a lower-body injury.
Still, Detroit has assumed the Seattle Kraken's title as a deep and dangerous offensive team, with 12 players in double-digits for goals. Kane has been a terrific addition, producing at better than a point-per-game, and had a 10-game point streak snapped in the shutout loss to Florida on Saturday.
The Red Wings' special teams are decent, but with a 5-on-5 expected goals share of 45.37%, Lalonde still has work to do on his squad's puck possession game. And while Alex Lyon has been terrific since taking over the net in late December, the 31-year-old may be starting to wear down. His 30 NHL games this season are a career high, and while he's still at a .911 save percentage and 7.0 goals saved above expected, his performance has dipped a bit over the past week, with 11 goals allowed in the past three games.
At this point in the season, the Avalanche are working to get their house in order for the playoffs. The most exciting development is the emergence of goaltender Justus Annunen.
The 23-year-old was between the pipes when the Avalanche and Red Wings met on Feb. 22. In fact, he hasn't given up a goal since, logging a pair of shutouts against the Chicago Blackhawks. He's now up to a .929 save percentage and 5.5 goals saved above expected, so he's showing that he can spell Alexandar Georgiev as needed.
That being said, it's unlikely that Annunen has reached the stage of consecutive starts, even though Georgiev is going through a bit of a dip. He has lost two of his past three starts, but his win was a gem — a 33-save performance in a 5-1 win over the division-rival Dallas Stars. Georgiev is at 5.0 goals saved above expected for the year and expected to get the nod Wednesday.
Both Colorado goalies are getting plenty of run support. The Avalanche have taken over first place in scoring, averaging 3.65 goals per game, and have nine players with more than 10 goals, led by 105-point man Nathan MacKinnon.
Another significant bit of news: Valeri Nichushkin has been practicing with the team after a stint in the NHL's player assistance program, but it's not clear whether he'll draw back into the lineup against Detroit. He's an important part of the offense as he had 42 points in 40 games before he being sidelined in January.
Defenseman Josh Manson is expected to return after missing one game with a lower-body injury.
Red Wings vs. Avalanche
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Red Wings got the upper hand when these teams faced each other in Detroit, but I expect the outcome to go the opposite way Wednesday.
The altitude gives the Avalanche a home-ice advantage that has shown in their results this year. They're 24-6-0 at Ball Arena, which is the top home-ice record in the league.
With wins in 15 of their past 17 games on home ice, Colorado opened as a -220 favorite. However, 13 of those wins have come in regulation, and 11 have been by two or more goals.
Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+128 at BetRivers) | Play to +100
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