The Colorado Avalanche embark on a quick three-game road trip out West and the first stop on the tour is to visit the Anaheim Ducks. The Avs are 7-4 SU in 11 road games this season and are averaging 3.7 goals per away game which ranks third in the NHL. The Ducks, on the other hand, are ranked 30th in goals per game this season and are 5-7 SU and ATS in 12 home games this season. The Avs are embracing the role as a favorite this season as they’ve won nine straight games when marked as chalk.
The Avalanche opened as -140 favorites with a total of 5.5.
- The Avalanche are tied for 1st in the NHL in goals per game.
- John Gibson is allowing 2.57 goals per game this month.
- The UNDER has hit in 8 of the Ducks’ last 9 games.
Avalanche vs Ducks Game Center
Scoring has been Rampant for the Young Avs
Coming off a breakout season where they made the playoffs and had Nathan MacKinnon as a finalist for the Hart Trophy, the Avalanche looked to have picked up where they left off. The Avs are currently ranked first in the NHL in goals per game at 3.53 while only allowing 2.89 goals per game.
Colorado has been exceptional on the man-advantage, converting 28.1 percent of its chances for 18 Sportsbook goals (ranked third) in 19 games. But as good as the Avs have been on special teams, they’ve also let in 15 goals when down to four men which ranks 26th in the league. Philip Grubauer will get the nod between the pipes for Colorado and in his two starts this month, he’s allowed 10 goals 66 shots and only has one game this season where he didn’t allow three goals or more.
In three games last season vs the Ducks, the Avs finished 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS and considering they’re 9-0 SU in their last nine games as a favorite, they look to be a great place to knock off the Ducks tonight.
Ducks May Need To Rely on Gibson to Slow Down Avs
Injuries have been rampant for the Anaheim Ducks this season and with Corey Perry, Cam Fowler and Patrick Eaves all on the shelf, it could be tough sledding for the Ducks to emerge victoriously. Scoring has never been the Ducks’ strong suit but they currently rank 30th in goals per game (2.05) and they haven’t averaged more than three goals per game since the 2013-14 season.
Goaltender John Gibson may be the lone bright spot on an Anaheim squad that 8-13 SU in 21 games this season. Gibson sports a 2.55 goals-against-average to go with a .928 save percentage and has only allowed three or more goals in two of his seven starts in November.
Gibby’s efforts may be all for naught if the Ducks can’t score because they’ll be facing a team that has a lot of young forwards that like to fly down the ice. Gibson will need to stand on his head and the Birds need to muddy the game if they want a shot to win and I can’t see that happening so I’ll be fading them in this one.
UNDER Bettors Seeing Profit When Ducks Take the Ice
The total opened at 5.5 and while the Avs have been electric with the puck, I think the UNDER is the smart play. The UNDER has hit in eight of the Ducks’ last nine games with an average combined score of 4.7 goals per game. The Ducks can’t seem to score this season and while the Avs do give up their fair share of goals, I expect this game to be a closely-contested matchup.
My Pick Is…
To take the Avalanche moneyline or the UNDER. The Avs are the better team and seem to come through for bettors when tabbed as a favorite. If bettors don’t like either team, then stick to the UNDER as long as Anaheim continues to struggle to score.
