The Colorado Avalanche look to build off a solid end to the first half of the season when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Colorado Avalanche (-111) vs. Pittsburgh Penguins (-108) Total: 6.5 (O -106, U -114)After winning the Stanley Cup last season, the Colorado Avalanche have dealt with some key injuries to kick off this season and have faltered through their first 40 games. They started to get healthier before the All-Star break and have put together a nice stretch of play, posting a 7-3 record over their last ten games. It’s been a similar story for the Penguins, who also put together an up-and-down first half. Heading into the break, the Pens were 4-3-3 over a ten-game stretch.
This will be the first of two meetings between these clubs, with the visiting Avalanche listed as slight road favorites on the moneyline at -111, while the Pens are priced at -106. Both of these respective clubs are hovering around a playoff spot and will need much more consistency for the stretch run.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Avalanche are expected to start Alexandar Georgiev, while the Penguins should do the same with Casey DeSmith. The Avs netminder has a 20-11-3 record with a .919 save percentage, while DeSmith is 7-10-4 with a .901 save percentage. With these two starters, the Avs should have an advantage between the pipes.
With how Colorado was playing entering the break and the Penguins’ lack of consistency, there’s likely some value in siding with the road team. Colorado is getting healthier and has too many solid pieces to be ignored. We like the Avs price on the moneyline at -111.
Best Bet: Avalanche moneyline (-111)
The Avs and Pens each boast superstar talent up front, which should become more evident moving forward. With injuries and inconsistencies, neither offense has stood out, but expect that to change. Over the Avalanche’s last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in just one, while the Pens have seen that in two. Coming out of the All-Star break, we probably shouldn’t expect these teams to be firing on all cylinders, so side with the under 6.5 at -114.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-114)
Multiple players could be targeted tonight, but a few stand out more than the others. Mikko Rantanen has been the biggest constant for Colorado in the scoring department. The superstar winger has tallied 61 points over 48 games, which includes 34 goals. In addition, he leads the team with three goals over their last five games. With the band getting healthier and more talent surrounding Rantanen, there’s value in backing the Finnish star to light the lamp tonight at +120.
Best Prop: Mikko Rantanen to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+120)
