Two teams chasing the defending Stanley Cup champions in the Central Division will meet in Denver on Tuesday when the Colorado Avalanche (25-15-5) host the Dallas Stars (26-15-4). The Avalanche have lost three straight games and six of eight to fall one point behind the Stars, who have won six of their last seven to pull within 11 of the division-leading Blues.
Sportsbook Odds Analysis
There has not been much line movement with regards to the moneyline or total yet on this divisional matchup. However, bettors should monitor who will get the nod in net for Colorado here since backup Pavel Francouz (11-4-2, 2.41 goals-against average) has been better overall than regular starter Philipp Grubauer (12-10-3, 2.92 GAA) but has dropped three in a row.
Dallas News & Notes
Defense has been the key to the success of the Stars recently, as they have not allowed more than two goals since suffering a 5-1 home loss to the Calgary Flames as -145 home favorites on December 22.
In seven games since then, they have outscored the opposition 21-9, with the UNDER cashing five times. Keep in mind, they have also had low closing totals of 5 or 5.5 during this stretch, with starting goaltender Ben Bishop (15-9-3, 2.24 GAA) earning three of the wins, including a 3-2 shootout victory against the Avalanche that started their recent six-game winning streak as a -120 favorite on December 28.
Bishop should get the call again here even though backup Anton Khudobin (11-6-1, 2.13 GAA) has been just as good lately.
Colorado News & Notes
While defense has been a positive for Dallas during the team’s recent run, it has been a negative for Colorado over the same time period.
The Avalanche have been outscored 10-6 in their skid, with Francouz starting two of the losses and Grubauer one. In a three-game losing streak before that, they were outscored 16-10, with the 3-2 setback to the Stars on the road the lone UNDER during a seven-game stretch.
Still, Colorado is averaging 3.6 goals in its last five games despite losing three of them, a testament to how good the offense remains. The Avalanche still rank first in the Western Conference with 3.6 goals per game overall as well.
Betting Pick: UNDER 5.5
Expect a playoff atmosphere at the Pepsi Center, with these teams currently set up for a potential first-round playoff matchup. The UNDER has cashed in each of the past five meetings between the teams and has gone 7-1 in the last eight dating back to January 13, 2018.