The Pepsi Center will play host to an East-West showdown as the New Jersey Devils travel to Denver to meet the Colorado Avalanche. It’s the last time that the two clubs will go at it in the regular season. The puck drops at 9 p.m. ET on Friday, December 1, and you’ll be able to see it live on Altitude Sports & Entertainment.
New Jersey Devils at Colorado Avalanche Odds
New Jersey is 14-10 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 6.8 units this season. Through 24 regular season contests, 13 of its games have gone over the total, while 11 have gone under and none have pushed. The Devils are 8-4 SU on the road in 2017-18.
New Jersey has converted on 23.0 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s good enough for seventh-best in the league. Its penalty kill is ranked 15th out of 31 teams, and the team’s successfully killed off 80.9 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, the Devils have been whistled for penalties 4.3 times per game during the 2017-18 season, and 2.8 per game over its last five road outings. The team’s been forced to kill penalties just 6.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 30.6 saves per game with a .918 save percentage, Cory Schneider (10-8-3) has been the top option in goal for New Jersey this year. If head coach John Hynes chooses to rest him, however, the team might roll with Keith Kinkaid (5-3-1), who has a .906 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average this year.
Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier will both spearhead the attack for the visiting Devils. Hall (26 points) has tallied eight goals and 18 assists, and has recorded two or more points seven times. Hischier has five goals and 13 assists to his name (and has logged at least one point in 11 games).
Over on the other bench, Colorado is 12-11 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 4.1 units this year. 14 of its matches have gone over the total, while nine have gone under and none have pushed. It’s 8-3 SU as the home team this season.
The Avalanche have converted on just 19.8 percent of their power play chances this season, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 25th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 77.3 percent of all penalties.
Colorado players have been sent to the penalty box 4.5 times per game in total this season, and 3.4 per game over their past five contests. The team has had to kill penalties just 8.7 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Semyon Varlamov (30.2 saves per game) has been the top selection in goal for the Avalanche. Varlamov has eight wins, five losses, and one overtime loss to his name and has registered a mediocre 3.13 goals against average and a fairly-weak .906 save percentage this season.
The home team will be led on offense by Nathan MacKinnon (eight goals, 20 assists).
New Jersey Devils vs. Colorado Avalanche Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Avalanche, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Notes
Colorado is 1-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while New Jersey is 2-2 in shootouts.
The total has gone under in four of Colorado’s last five outings.
75.0 percent of Colorado’s wins have come by two or more goals (the team is 9-6 overall in such games) while only 35.7 percent of New Jersey’s wins have come by two goals or more (5-5 overall in such games).
