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Colorado vs. Florida: NHL Match Prediction
On January 7th, an exciting matchup is set to take place in Denver. One of the Eastern Conference leaders, Florida, will visit Colorado, aiming to secure two points against the Avalanche. Paul Maurice's squad is battling for a spot in the top three of the conference standings, while the Avalanche have been on a roll, earning points in seven consecutive games. In late November, the Panthers hosted the Avalanche but couldn't contain Gabriel Landeskog's team. Will they manage to do so on the road? Find out in our preview of this thrilling encounter.
Command Analysis
Colorado Avalanche
USACurrent Form
The Colorado Avalanche are currently positioned seventh in the Western Conference with 49 points. The team is steadily climbing the standings, securing victory after victory, though they stumbled in their last game. Jared Bednar's squad had been on a winning streak for two weeks, avoiding defeat, but recently lost to the Montreal Canadiens (1-2, SO). In the match against the Habs, the hosts managed to score first but failed to capitalize and maintain their lead. The Canadiens equalized and eventually edged out Gabriel Landeskog's team in the shootout. Previously, the Avalanche defeated the Winnipeg Jets at home (5-2) and pulled off an incredible comeback against the Buffalo Sabres (6-5, OT).
Over an extended period, the Avs have consistently performed well offensively, scoring 28 goals in their last seven games, with at least four goals in six of those matches. Nathan MacKinnon continues to solidify his position as one of the league's top scorers. The Canadian forward has accumulated 65 points (14 goals, 51 assists) and leads Leon Draisaitl by six points.
The Avalanche have also shown solid defensive play in recent games, conceding only 15 goals in their last seven starts. Typically, Colorado's defense is not the most reliable, but since December 17, they have allowed more than two goals in only one match. Mackenzie Blackwood has become the team's primary goaltender following his transfer from San Jose. He has saved 93.47% of shots but has yet to record a shutout.
Suspensions and Injuries
Ivan Ivan, Tucker Poolman, Miles Wood, Oliver Kylington, Valeri Nichushkin, and Scott Wedgewood will not participate in the upcoming match due to injuries.
Interesting Betting Trends
- Colorado averages 6.80 penalty minutes per game
The team maintains discipline and rarely incurs more than three penalties in a game.
- Colorado wins 44.5% of faceoffs
The Avalanche remain one of the league's weakest teams in faceoff win percentage.
Florida Panthers
USACurrent Form
The Panthers are currently in fourth place in the East and have a good chance to climb higher if they can secure more victories. The team from the namesake state has earned 50 points in 40 games, trailing the third spot by just one point. The visitors have two games in hand, which should allow them to overtake New Jersey, who have not been showcasing strong hockey lately. Florida didn't perform well at the end of last year and, after two home losses, managed to narrowly defeat the Rangers (5-3). Alexander Barkov's squad couldn't extend their winning streak and immediately lost to Carolina (1-3), but before heading to Denver, they edged out Pittsburgh in a shootout (3-2, SO).
Florida is facing significant challenges in converting opportunities at this stage of the season. The Panthers have scored only eight goals in their last five games and failed to score in two of them. Sam Reinhart remains the main hope for the team up front. The forward has been scoring frequently and has recorded 35 points (22 goals, 24 assists) so far this season.
Sergei Bobrovsky is unlikely to become the team's second-choice goalie, but due to his lackluster performances, Spencer Knight is appearing on the ice more often. The Russian has managed to save only 89.93% of shots and has recorded just one shutout this season. He played well against Carolina, but it wasn't enough for Paul Maurice's team to secure two points.
Suspensions and Injuries
All key players for the visitors will travel to Denver on Tuesday. Johan Gadjovich's participation is questionable.
Interesting Betting Trends
- Florida averages 9.97 penalty minutes per game
On average, the team incurs at least five penalties per game
- Florida has an 80.8% penalty kill rate
The Panthers demonstrate solid play while shorthanded, ranking 14th in the league in this category
Trends
Bet 3rd Period: Total Over 1.5 Goals
In ten out of 11 games involving the "Colorado" team, the third period was high-scoring
1.47Bet 2nd Period: "Florida" Will Not Lose
The "Avalanche" have not won the second period in two consecutive games
1.47Tip and bets
Colorado has been on a strong run, losing only one match since the end of last year. The Avalanche came close to defeat against Buffalo and lost to Montreal. Neither team is a league leader, which might indicate the beginning of a decline. Florida, on the other hand, lacks consistency at this stage, but the Panthers show their best hockey on the road. The Cats lost to the Avalanche on their home ice, but we believe in Paul Maurice's squad and think they are capable of taking revenge. We'll place a bet on a zero handicap for the visitors.
Prediction - Florida to win with an Asian handicap (0) at 2.07
Bet on Team Total
Florida may not be the strongest offensive team at home, but they average 3.68 goals per game on the road. Colorado often allows opponents to challenge their goalkeepers and frequently falters in defense, conceding heavily. Even in a winning match in November, the Denver team allowed the Panthers to score four goals. We believe the visitors will make at least three accurate shots this time.
Take Florida's team total over 2.5 goals at 1.65
Bet on Overall Total
Games involving Colorado are often thrilling and feature a high number of goals. Colorado boasts one of the league's most powerful offensive lines and skillfully breaks through opponents' defenses, yet they also concede quite a few, even when playing at home. Florida also engages in many end-to-end matches, aiming to score as much as possible. Based on this, we bet on the total over.
Bet on the total over 5.5 goals at 1.65
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