Avalanche vs. Utah Hockey Club prediction, odds, pick – 12/27/2024
12/26/2024 12:12 PM
The Colorado Avalanche look to extend their winning streak as they face the Utah Hockey Club. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with an Avalanche-Utah Hockey Club prediction and pick.
The Avalanche come into the game at 21-15-0 on the year, sitting in third in the Central Division. In their last game, they faced the Seattle Kraken. Cale Makar scored on the power play to give the Avalanche the lead in the first period, but Jared McCann would tie the game. Kappo Kakko gave the Kraken the lead, but the Avalanche would strike twice in the period to take the lead. Joel Kiviranta scored twice in the third period to take the hat trick, as the newly acquired MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 17 of 19 shots in a 5-2 victory.
Meanwhile, Utah is 16-12-6 on the year, sitting in fifth in the division. They are coming off back-to-back losses. Last time out, they faced the Dallas Stars. The Stars took the 1-0 lead, but Kevin Stenlund would tie the game in the period. Still, the Stars would score twice in the second period, and while Utah would get one back in the third, it would not be enough as they fell 3-2.
Here are the Avalanche-Utah Hockey Club NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Avalanche-Utah Hockey Club Odds
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+176)
Moneyline: -140
Utah Hockey Club: +1.5 (-220)
Moneyline: +116
Over: 6.5 (+110)
Under: 6.5 (-134)
How To Watch Avalanche vs Utah Hockey Club
Time: 9:30 PM ET/ 6:30 PM PT
TV: ESPN2
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Avalanche Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Avalanche is led by Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon is first on the team in points and assists this year, sitting with 14 goals and 43 assists. He has three goals and 15 assists on the power play this year. MacKinnon is joined on the top line by Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin. Lehkonen has ten goals and five assists in his 24 games this year. Meanwhile, Nichushkin has played in just 19 games, scoring 11 times with five assists.
It is Mikko Rantanen who leads the team in goals this year, playing on the second line. He has 19 goals this year, with 33 assists, good for 52 points. He also has six goals and 10 assists on the power play. Cale Makar has also been great from the blue line this year. He has 11 goals and 34 assists this year, scoring 45 points. He also has six goals and 13 assists this year on the power play.
MacKenzie Blackwood is expected to be in goal for Colorado in this one. He is 9-10-3 on the year with a 2.83 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. He has been great since joining Colorado, giving up two goals in each of his four games, and being above .910 in save percentage in three of four games.
Why the Utah Hockey Club Could Cover the Spread/Win
Utah’s first line is led by the combination of Clayton Keller, Barrett Hayton, and Nick Schmaltz. Keller leads the team in points, coming in with 13 goals and 23 assists, good for 36 points. He has four goals and nine assists on the power play. Hayton comes in with seven goals and nine assists this year, while Schmaltz comes in with five goals and 11 assists. He has also been solid on the power play, with two goals and six assists.
Meanwhile, Dylan Guenther has been great this year, sitting second on the team in points. He has 16 goals, the most on the team, while also having 16 assists. Further, Guenter has seven goals and eight assists on the power play. Finally, Mikhail Sergachev has been solid from the blue line. He has eight goals and 18 assists this year.
Karel Vejmelka has been great this year and is expected to be in goal for Utah in this one. He is 8-8-2 on the year with a 2.29 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. Vejmelka is top five in the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage this year. He has won four of his last five starts while being above .920 in save percentage in three of them.
Final Avalanche-Utah Hockey Club Prediction & Pick
The Colorado Avalanche come into this game as favorites in this NHL game. The Avalanche are scoring 3.33 goals per game this year and sit eighth on the power play this year. Meanwhile, they have struggled on defense, sitting 26th in the NHL on goals-against average this year. The Utah Hockey Club has scored three goals per game and has been solid on defense this year, sitting 12th in the NHL in goals-against per game. The defense for the Avalanche has struggled, but the offense is starting to pick up. Take the Avalanche in this one.
Final Avalanche-Utah Hockey Club Prediction & Pick: Avalanche ML (-140)
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