Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames Prediction and Odds March 5
Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames Betting Preview
WagerTalk NHL handicapper Kevin Dolan offers his Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames betting preview for Saturday, March 5. Colorado has opened as a -145 home favorite in the first of three upcoming games between these Western Conference rivals.
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| Saturday, March 5 | NHL Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Colorado Avalanche -145 vs Calgary Flames +125 |
| Puckline: | Avalanche -1.5 (+165) / Flames +1.5 (-200) |
| Total: | 6.5 Goals (Over -105 / Under -115) |
| Game Time: | 10:05pm ET / 7:05pm PT |
| Arena: | Ball Arena in Denver |
| TV: | ESPN+ |
Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames Analysis
Two of the hottest teams in the NHL clash on Saturday night as the Calgary Flames, who are on a recent 12-2 run, head into Denver to take on a Colorado Avalanche team on an 18-4 run themselves and sitting top of the West.
Calgary Rolling on Both Sides of the Puck
The Calgary Flames came up short against Montreal on Thursday night with the Canadiens winning 5-4 in OT as huge +317 road underdogs.
However despite that, the Flames have been on absolute fire offensively over the last month, racking up a pretty hefty 4.46 goals per game since February 1st.
On top of this, Calgary boasts the league’s second-best defense as well this season, allowing just 2.45 goals per game to opponents all year, with only Carolina boasting a better overall defensive record.
Colorado’s High-Octane Offense
The Avalanche have been hot themselves this season, registering as the #2 scoring team in the league this year behind only Florida at 3.93 goals per game.
However, Colorado fell into a look ahead spot themselves on Thursday night, getting dropped surprisingly by the worst team in the league this season, the Arizona Coyotes.
Despite 43 shots for the Avalanche in that one, a standout performance from Arizona goalie Karel Vejmelka kept the Avalanche at bay with a red-hot .977 SV%.
Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames Prediction
This totals set pretty high at 6.5 here but it’s hard to look past anything other than goals in this one.
While Markstrom and Kuemper are both expected in nets tonight for the Flames and Avalanche respectively, with both men posting some really excellent numbers this season also, it’s in both teams offensive stats this season where both teams really shine.
Not only is Colorado averaging the second-highest goals per game numbers in the league this season, both teams also rank top-7 this year on expected goal average as well.
On top of this, Calgary ranks second in the league on total scoring chances created this season and first on high-danger scoring chances created also.
This is likely to be end-to-end stuff here on Saturday between two of the best offensive teams in the league and while the total is no doubt high here, it’s for very good reason and we’re taking the over 6.5 goals between the Flames and Avalanche on Saturday night in Denver.
Interested in placing a bet on Saturday night’s Colorado Avalanche vs Calgary Flames showdown? Caesars Sports is offering up to a $1,500 match bet for first-time deposits in New Jersey, West Virginia, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Virginia, Tennessee, Arizona, New York and Louisiana.
Hockey Betting 101 | What is the Puckline?
The puckline is hockey’s version of the point spread. When betting on the puckline, the favorite is -1.5 goals on the spread, with the underdog at +1.5 goals. Betting on the favorite requires your team to win its game by two or more goals. Conversely, betting on the underdog at +1.5 means that your team can either win the game or lose by one goal, and your ticket will still cash.
Since the majority of hockey betting is built around the moneyline, casual bettors might be turned off by laying larger prices with the top teams in the league. Instead of laying -200 or -250 on a strong favorite, a more attractive option might be laying -1.5 goals at a more reasonable price point. Conversely, it can be hard to pull the trigger on a +200 underdog that’s expected to lose their game over 60% of the time. Well, it gets a little easier to put your money on them if you’re getting a +1.5 goal head start.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
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