There’s a couple of games in the National Hockey League on Sunday, February 14, 2021, including the West Division showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, so here’s the best Colorado Avalanche vs. Vegas Golden Knights betting pick along with the latest odds on FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Avalanche face off against the Golden Knights for the first time this season, opening as +120 road underdogs. They’ll return to the ice after 12 days, as the Avs had to postpone four games due to the COVID-19 issues.
Colorado might miss seven players in Vegas
The Colorado Avalanche (7-3-1) haven’t played since February 2 and a 2-1 home win over Minnesota, but they still hold the third spot in the West Division, four points behind Vegas and five behind the leader St. Louis.
The Avs have won four of their previous five games overall along with a 4-3 overtime defeat at Minnesota. They are sixth in the NHL in goals scored per game (3.45) and second in goals against (2.18) while posting the ninth-best power-play percentage (14-for-52) and the second-best penalty-killing percentage (35-for-39).
Colorado is without injured goalie Pavel Francouz, defenseman Erik Johnson, and winger Matt Calvert, while four guys are questionable to play Sunday including winger Gabriel Landeskog who’s scored three goals along with five assists in 11 appearances thus far. Philipp Grubauer should guard the cage against Vegas, and he’s 7-2-0 on the season, posting a 1.67 GAA with a .934 save percentage.
Vegas looks for a back-to-back win
The Vegas Golden Knights (9-2-1) are coming off a 3-1 road victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday afternoon, bouncing back from a tough 1-0 home loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Marc-Andre Fleury got his third straight starting call and posted 24 saves, while the Knights converted three of their five power-play opportunities to see off the Sharks’ challenge.
Vegas is ninth in the league in goals scored per game (3.36) and fourth in goals against (2.36). The Golden Knights own the 23rd-best power-play percentage (5-for-35) and the ninth-best penalty-killing percentage (29-for-35).
They will miss defenseman Brayden McNabb and winger Tomas Nosek on Sunday, while goalie Robin Lehner and defenseman Shea Theodore are both questionable to play. Marc-Andre Fleury could get another starting nod, and the 36-year-old goalie is 6-1-0 with a 1.58 GAA and a .934 save percentage this season.
Trends:
Colorado:
- N/A
Vegas:
- 4-1 in the last five games overall
- 7-2 in the last nine home contests
The Avalanche have won four of their last five matchups with the Golden Knights including their previous two visits to T-Mobile Arena. However, things are different this time, and the Avs could easily struggle in their first game in nearly two weeks.
We should see a hard-fought battle between a couple of legitimate championship contenders. The Golden Knights are certainly at a better spot and should take full advantage of it.
Pick: Take Vegas at -133
The Total:
Colorado has scored three or more goals in each of its last five encounters with Vegas, while their previous four H2H duels went in the over, producing seven or more goals in total.
Both teams rely on top-notch goaltenders, but they also have plenty of dangerous offensive weapons. Therefore, I’m backing the over, looking for another high-scoring affair between the Avs and Golden Knights.
Pick: Go over 6.0 goals at -110