Colorado Avalanche vs Carolina Hurricanes Prediction & Preview - 1/3/2026
Updated January 3, 2026
Updated January 3, 2026
The Colorado Avalanche arrive in Raleigh on Saturday as slight favorites against the Carolina Hurricanes in what shapes up to be one of the most intriguing NHL matchups of the weekend. Colorado has been sensational this season, with a record of 30-2-7 and riding a nine-game winning streak into this game. Carolina sits at 24-13-3 but has stumbled slightly of late, including a 7-5 loss to the Montreal Canadiens just days ago. Here, I break down this huge NHL matchup and give you my Avalanche vs Hurricanes prediction on the ice.
Pick: | Over 6.5 |
Confidence: | 4/5 |
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Colorado has been nearly unstoppable, winning its last nine games and posting a 30-2-7 overall record entering this contest. Their most recent result was a 6-1 dismantling of the St. Louis Blues to end the 2025 calendar year. Carolina has been up and down of late, losing two straight games after winning two games in a row. The Hurricanes have struggled on defense of late, giving up 12 goals over their two-game losing streak.
Colorado is expected to start Scott Wedgewood, who has been excellent with a save rate of .919. His performance has anchored a defense that ranks first in the league at limiting opposition scoring. Carolina’s probable starter, Brandon Bussi, has been solid over the season but struggled in his most recent outing, giving up six goals against Montreal. Bussi has a 2.33 GAA but will face one of the toughest tests in hockey here.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Nathan MacKinnon | Over 1.5 Points |
Sebastian Aho | Over 0.5 Points |
Martin Necas | Over 0.5 Goals |
Score Projection: Colorado 4 – Carolina 3
Win Probability: Colorado 62%, Carolina 38%
I am expecting another high-scoring matchup between the Avs and Hurricanes in this contest on Saturday night. The over is my best bet here, as this one should come down to the wire in Raleigh, just like the first meeting of the season between these squads did.
Jay Sanin is the GM and Head of Sports at ATS.io. He has been writing about sports gambling since 2013, handicapping tens of thousands of sporting events. He plays sides and totals aggressively across most sports and is more selective in player prop markets. He does his own modeling across most sports, and his family is jealous of how much time he spends on his precious spreadsheets.
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