The Pepsi Center is playing host to an intriguing clash as the Colorado Avalanche prepare to face the visiting Arizona Coyotes. It’s the third and final time that these two clubs will meet in the regular season. Fox Arizona Plus will showcase this Western Conference matchup, which gets going at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, March 29.
Arizona Coyotes at Colorado Avalanche Odds
Oddsmakers have not yet posted moneyline or Over/Under odds for this matchup.
Arizona is 37-40 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 3.8 units this year. Through 77 regular season contests, 42 of its games have gone under the total, while 32 have gone over and just three have pushed. The Coyotes are 18-21 SU on the road in 2018-19.
Arizona has converted on just 16.9 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s ranked 23rd in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked first overall, and the team’s successfully killed off 85.6 percent of its penalties.
Arizona, as a collective unit, has been penalized just 3.3 times per game this season, and 2.6 per game over its past ten outings. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 5.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 28.1 saves per game with a .922 save percentage, Darcy Kuemper (25-26-7) has been the top option in goal for Arizona this year. If Arizona chooses to rest him, however, the team may roll with Antti Raanta (6-6), who has a .906 save percentage and 2.88 goals against average this year.
Clayton Keller and Oliver Ekman-Larsson will both spearhead the attack for the visiting Coyotes. Keller (46 points) is up to 14 goals and 32 assists, and has recorded multiple points eight times. Ekman-Larsson has 12 goals and 29 assists to his credit (and has logged at least one point in 34 games).
On the other side of the rink, Colorado is 35-42 straight up (SU) and has lost 14.7 units for moneyline bettors this year. 38 of its matches have gone over the total, while another 38 have gone under and just one has pushed. It’s 18-20 SU at home this season.
Colorado has converted on 22.1 percent of its power play chances this season, a figure that’s good enough for seventh-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 27th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 77.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
The Avalanche have been penalized 4.1 times per game this season, and 2.9 per game over their past ten games. The team’s had to kill penalties just 6.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Semyon Varlamov (27.8 saves per game) has been the top selection in the crease for Colorado. Varlamov has 19 wins, 28 losses, and nine OT losses and has maintained a mediocre 2.86 goals against average and a fairly-weak .910 save percentage this season.
The home team offense will be led by Nathan MacKinnon (38 goals, 56 assists).
Arizona Coyotes at Colorado Avalanche Betting Predictions
Free Pick: SU Winner – Avalanche, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- For both of these teams, the under has hit in four of their past five matchups.
- Arizona has managed 28.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Colorado is averaging 34.2 shots per game over its last five at home.
- Penalties and power plays could be critical in this matchup. The Coyotes are 16-23 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 24-31 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Avalanche are 13-19 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 20-25 when their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Arizona (4-2 in shootouts) has more experience this season in games decided by shootout. Colorado has participated in only a couple of shootouts this year, winning one and losing the other.
- Colorado has managed 7.0 takeaways per game over its last five home games, a slight drop from its season average of 6.4 takeaways per game (ranked 27th in the NHL).
- Arizona is ranked 24th overall this season with 6.9 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher recently, as the team has forced 8.8 takeaways over its last 10 games and 9.6 takeaways over its last five.
