The Colorado Avalanche travel to Nashville to take on the Predators in Game 3 of the first round. The Avalanche defeated the Predators 2-1 in Game 2, thanks to a Cale Makar overtime goal. This is where you’ll find everything, including team win odds, the over/under, and point spreads.
Colorado Avalanche (-250) vs Nashville Predators (+190)
COL: 2-0, 4.50 GF/GP, 1.50 GA/GP
NSH: 0-2, 1.50 GF/GP, 4.50 GA/GP
Game 2 was a highly-contested matchup between two powerhouse offensive teams. In a complete reversal of the 7-2 blowout in Game 1, the second game was decided in overtime. Goaltender Connor Ingram got his first career playoff start and looked like a man on a mission, stopping 49 of 51 shots. He did everything but score, and the team in front of him failed to do that too. Nashville’s top forwards have been limited to two goals in two games, while they got one from their third line in Game 2.
Colorado’s story is the polar opposite, with all of its stars firing on all cylinders and wreaking havoc around the net. Nathan MacKinnon has opened up the scoring in each game, and Cale Makar has outshined every blueliner on either side. Defensively, the Avalanche are working as a collective unit, limiting Nashville’s shots on goal to under 30 in both games. They cleared the front of the net efficiently, block shots willingly, and prevent rebound attempts in high-danger areas.
Point Spread
Nashville – Win or Lose By Less Than 2 Goals (+1.5, -130)
The Predators have home ice for Games 3 and 4, and a rocking Nashville crowd will give the team extra motivation. They also took great strides at keeping the game close, thanks to Ingram’s heroics and a better overall defensive effort. The issue remains their lack of goal scoring from some of their top point producers. Nashville will likely aim to keep the game close and within arm’s reach as they did in Game 2.
Whether they win or lose, it’s likely this will be another one-goal game. Game 1 felt like an anomaly compared to what we saw in the regular season, and there’s no way Nashville replicates a miserable first period. The interesting part of this will be whether they win the game or not and head into Game 4 with their backs on the ropes.
Total Points
Total Goals Scored – Under 6.5 (+100)
The under for this game is appealing for many factors. With Saros out for Game 3, the team will lean on Ingram once more. At the other end of the ice, Darcy Kuemper has been great when he’s needed to be and has a potent defense to back him up. The games are only going to get tighter from here, with both teams aiming to score a goal or two before buckling down and attempting to shut down the opposing team’s chances.
The question mark with this betting line is the shot count for both teams. Colorado pelted Ingram with 51 shots in Game 2, and they chased David Rittich in Game 1 with 13 shots in the opening 15 minutes. The Predators will need to figure out a way to clog up the neutral zone and get into lanes fast enough to prevent the Avalanche’s cross-crease game. If they can do that, as they did during the regular season, this will be another close game.
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
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