NHL Best Bets

It was a rough night for me last night, but on Wednesday, there is only one game to focus on for an NHL best bet. and it is a big one between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars. 

Colorado at Dallas (-148, 6.5)

The Colorado Avalanche have so many offensive weapons, but they haven’t had a lead yet in this series. Tonight, they face elimination on the road, but if there is one thing we’ve learned in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the home team that leads 3-1 with a chance to close it out has let the pressure get to them. 

 

Desperation in the playoffs is an interesting thing. Tonight, we will see it for the first time with the Colorado Avalanche, who have their backs against the wall. While Dallas is definitely the better team, it’s tough to bet against the desperation factor and the human nature effect that the Stars do not want to have to go back to Colorado. 

One specific thing that has held Colorado back in this series is their power play. The Avalanche haven’t scored a goal on the man advantage in three straight games and are 0/8 in that span. Obviously, there’s a lot of drama surrounding Valeri Nichushkin, who was placed in stage 3 of the NHL’s Player Assistance Program. Nichushkin was not only leading the team in scoring with nine goals, but he was also tied with Zach Hyman for the most in all of the playoffs. This is a massive loss for Colorado. That said, we also don’t know the status of Devon Toews for the Avalanche and Roope Hintz for the Stars, they’re both questionable.

There are two players to watch in this game: Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon. There has to be one game in this series where they take over.  I refuse to believe that they will go down without a fight. 

Colorado had a horrendous start to Game Four. They were outshot 16-2 after the first period. I don’t see them coming out flat again. Beating Jake Oettinger will be a challenge as he has been one of the best goalies in the playoffs, but the pressure will be on, and we will see how he handles that. 

I think the Avalanche find a way tonight. 

NHL Best Bet(s): Nathan MacKinnon over 4.5 shots on goal -105 (play to -115) | Cale Makar over 3.5 shots on goal +135 (play to +110) | Colorado Avalanche ML + 124 (play to +110)

May Record: 20-14 (+5.60 units)

2023-24 record: 173–165 (-23.09 units)

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