NHL Playoffs Game 4 Odds, Pick & Preview: Avalanche vs. Predators (May 9)
Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche.
- It's Game 4 between the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators.
- Colorado has dominated the series so far, but will they wrap it up on Monday night?
- Nick Martin shares his best bet below.
Avalanche vs. Predators Game 4 Odds
| Avalanche Odds | -250 |
| Predators Odds | +200 |
| Over/Under | 6.5 |
| Time | 9:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Avalanche entered the postseason as cup favorites and have quickly shown us why through three games vs Nashville. Colorado has absolutely dismantled the Predators, playing to a +10 goal differential.
Can the Predators delay what seems to be the inevitable and find one last win on home ice this season?
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado has clicked on all cylinders at essentially every point in this series and has never really been challenged by the Predators.
The Avalanche have played to a 69.11 xGF% throughout the series and are leading in high-danger chances, 37-27.
Both Nathan Mackinnon and Cale Makar have seemingly stepped things up another notch after their excellent regular season play and Captain Gabriel Landeskog has looked true to form in his return from injury.
Colorado’s depth has been rock solid behind that and I think the dominance seen in this series has been a sign of the overall strength of this Avalanche group, rather than an indication that Nashville is inferior competition.
The main cause for concern entering Game 4 will be the health of goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who took a stick to the eye in Game 3.
Kuemper left that contest and is considered day-to-day, but is believed to be okay.
It’s quite possible we see Pavel Francouz get the start here and the Avalanche can likely manage should that be the case.
Francouz posted strong numbers in the regular season, playing to a +1.9 GSAx rating and a .916 save %. Francouz was solid in Game 3 as well with a +0.6 GSAx rating in that game.
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators have looked out classed in all areas of the ice in this series. They are losing both the expected goals battle and actual goals differential by a worse margin than any other group this postseason.
Things were always going to need be perfect for Nashville because of the Avs' embarrassment of riches. The exact opposite happened for the Predators when Juuse Saros went down with injury prior to the series.
Connor Ingram has certainly filled in admirably while playing to a +2.8 goals saved above expected and a .919 save %. So the problem hasn't been poor goaltending.
The Predators seem to have no answers for the Avalanche's plethora of superstars and have seen the depth scoring from pieces like Tanner Jeannot dry up.
Nashville offered a ton of good stories and were likely better than people may have registered this season, but I feel they have simply run into a fine-tuned machine at exactly the wrong time.
Avalanche vs. Predators Pick
My belief has always been that this Colorado roster is far and away the best in hockey and they have come out in this postseason and shown exactly that.
The Avs have covered the puck-line in two of three games this series and the play has clearly dictated that it is a fair result. The lone 2-1 game was simply favorable puck-luck for the Predators and I'm definitely comfortable making the square call on the Avs -1.5 at plus money in this one.
Pick: Colorado Avalanche -1.5 +105
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