Surging Avs Eye Division Title
There is no shocking NHL news when it comes to the Colorado Avalanche’s pursuit of a Central Division title.
However, the defending Stanley Cup champions dug themselves a hole with a slow start to the season and remain three points behind Dallas with two games in hand. Colorado, though, is showing why it is the Stanley Cup defending champion by winning five straight and climbing the Western Conference ranks.
Meanwhile, the season has been lost for the Chicago Blackhawks for some time. The Blackhawks are one of three teams eliminated from the playoffs in the Western Conference and are hoping to find a way to figure out what strong players they have on their rosters.
While Chicago is out of the NHL playoff odds, taking a game from Colorado would make life more difficult for the Avalanche.
Blackhawks Seek Confidence Boost
There was a feeling among those making NHL predictions that this would be a difficult season for the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks, who are 3-6-1 over their past 10 NHL games, have only been averaging 2.6 goals per game during that stretch. Chicago dealt away its top two scorers, Max Domi and Patrick Kane at the trade deadline.
Right wing Taylor Reddish is Chicago’s remaining leading scorer, having pocketed 20 goals in 69 games for the Blackhawks. Goaltending has been an adventure for the Blackhawks.
Chicago has seen five different goaltenders make appearances. The Blackhawks allow 3.51 goals per game and allow its opponents to generate 34 shots per game.
Avalanche Offense Heating Up
That the Colorado Avalanche collected six wins over their past seven games shouldn’t shock anyone.
NHL lines showed that Colorado was the favorite in five of those six wins, including a 5-1 victory over old rival Detroit last time out. The Avalanche has scored five or more goals in four of those six wins.
Colorado has played well despite being hit hard by injuries. Gabriel Landeskog has been out all season while Erik Johnson has a broken ankle with no timetable for a return. Artturi Kehkonen will also miss four to six weeks with an injury.
Fortunately for Colorado, the Avalanche have plenty of top-scoring talent. Right wing Mikko Rantanen is third in the league with 46 goals while Nathan MacKinnon has scored 30.
Recent scores and odds show that Colorado has been able to avoid too much extra play. The Avalanche have won three of their past four games in regulation.
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Injuries
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Head-to-Head
People making NHL picks would see that Colorado hasn’t dominated Chicago this season. The Avalanche and Blackhawks split the first two meetings, with each team winning on home ice.
Blackhawks vs Game Information
- Game: Blackhawks (24-39-6) vs Avalanche (40-22-6)
- Location: Ball Arena, Denver, Colorado
- Day/Time: Monday, March 20, 9:00 p.m. EDT
- Blackhawks vs Avalanche Live Stream: NHL.TV
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Betting Lines
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Picks and Prediction
NHL betting lines show that Colorado is a big favorite to win this game. Deservedly so, as the Avalanche should once again have a large say in who wins the Stanley Cup while Chicago will be watching from home.
The Avalanche have found a lot of success in getting in the puck in the back of the net recently.
With Chicago struggling in net and with protecting the goaltender, this has the potential to be a turkey shoot for the Avalanche. Anyone looking at Las Vegas odds should take a shot on this game going over the total.
Avalanche is listed at -450 in our Vegas NHL lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Avalanche, there’s a chance to win $22. Blackhawks is +350, with a chance to win $350 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Avalanche an 81.82% chance to win, with the Blackhawks at 22.22%.
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Trends
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Edge
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Results
Blackhawks vs Avalanche Game Summary
