Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators Game 1 Prediction and Betting Odds
Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators Betting Preview
Nashville won three out of four meetings with Colorado in the regular season, but goalie Juuse Saros will be unavailable for the Preds tonight. WagerTalk NHL handicapper Kevin Dolan offers his thoughts on Game 1 of the Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators series in Denver.
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| Tuesday, May 3 | NHL Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars |
|---|---|
| Moneyline: | Colorado Avalanche -300 vs Nashville Predators +250 |
| Puckline: | Avalanche -1.5 (-125) / Predators +1.5 (+105) |
| Total: | 6.5 Goals (Over -125 / Under +105) |
| Game Time: | 9:30pm ET / 6:30pm PT |
| Arena: | Ball Arena in Denver |
| TV: | ESPN |
Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators Game 1 Analysis
The Nashville Predators and the Colorado Avalanche kick off the opening game of their series tonight in Denver with the Avs looking to continue the success which saw them rank as the No. 1 team in the West this season.
Standing in their way is a Nashville Predators team who barely squeezed into the playoffs this year and ran off the regular season with a 1-4 run, so they’ll be eager to turn things around in this one.
Surprisingly, the Predators own a 3-1 mark over the Avalanche this season, taking both games in Nashville along with another 5-4 OT victory in Colorado last Thursday, but they’ll likely face a much stiffer test tonight in Denver.
Nashville’s Goalie Issues
Juuse Saros, Nashville’s No. 1 goalie this season and fifth-ranked on the entire season in terms of overall GSAA average this year, has been ruled out for at least the first two games of this series as he recovers from a left ankle sprain that he picked up last week.
That leaves coach John Hynes with either the unproven Connor Ingram in net, who have started just three games all season or the underperforming David Rittich who’s averaging a pretty poor .886 SV% this year. Neither are ideal options when you’re about to face quite possibly the best team in hockey right now.
Colorado’s Real Season Begins Now
The Stanley Cup favorites enter tonight’s home game in good shape as despite a recent 1-6 mark to close out the season (and losing the President’s Trophy as a result), the Colorado Avalanche are all about the playoffs and getting healthy as the real work of the season starts now.
Paramount to that success will be a good start here as they look to build on a season which saw the Avalanche as one of the premier offensive teams in the league this year, averaging 3.76 goals per game on average.
Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators Prediction
It’s difficult to look past anything other than a comprehensive Colorado victory tonight at home against Nashville.
On top of Nashville’s already-concerning injury to Juuse Saros in net, the Predators also rank 29th in the league on expected goals this season in offense as they’ve benefited from an extraordinarily high shots to goals percentage this year, even above that of Colorado.
Add on to that a defense which ranks 26th in the league this season on opponent high danger conversion percentage and a motivated Colorado team should simply have too much for a depleted Nashville team later tonight in Denver.
Take the Colorado Avalanche -1.5 on the puckline in Tuesday night in Game 1 against the Nashville Predators.
NHL Betting Guide
Thanks to the ever-expanding sports betting industry, there are now a variety of ways to attack the betting market outside of the traditional point spreads, moneylines and totals. Few sports have seen an increase of betting popularity like hockey, and we now have several different ways to wager on the NHL and international leagues. Check out our NHL Betting Guide with helpful terms and tips for novice bettors.
Puck Time | NHL Predictions for May 3
Join Carmine Bianco, Andrew McInnis and Don Buster for Tuesday’s edition of Puck Time as our panel of professional hockey handicappers break down tonight’s NHL playoff betting card. Rangers’ goalie Igor Shesterkin was the league’s best during the regular season. Will that success carry into the playoffs? Join the Puck Time crew every week day at 11am ET / 8am PT as we discuss the NHL betting slate from a variety of handicapping angles.
WagerTalk Live Odds Screen
WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NHL moneylines, puck lines and betting percentages for all of Tuesday’s playoff games, including this Colorado Avalanche vs Nashville Predators showdown, from your desktop or phone.
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Meet the Author
‘The sharpest sports mind in Ireland’ is how one prominent newspaper dubbed Kevin Dolan after he became the first foreigner ever to win the World Series of Handicapping tournament back in 2015. “The Irishman” made his start wagering on GAA, football, soccer and boxing, all to immense success. Since becoming a professional bettor, he has since lit up the sports betting scene in the U.S. and abroad, winning two handicapping awards and writing a best-selling book on sports handicapping named ‘The Complete Guide to Sports Betting’.
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