Two teams squaring off for the second time this season, the Colorado Avalanche and the Calgary Flames face off at the Scotiabank Saddledome in a Western Conference showdown. The first puck will drop at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 1, and fans at home can catch the game live on Sportsnet ONE.
Colorado Avalanche vs. Calgary Flames Odds
Colorado (+115) is playing the role of underdog to Calgary (-135) and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals. The odds for betting that total sit at -120 money on the over and +100 on the under.
Netting 1.0 unit for moneyline bettors, Calgary is 7-6 straight up (SU) overall in the 2018-19 season. That early-season winning percentage is fairly close to what the team managed during last year’s regular season (37-45). Through 13 regular season contests, seven of its games have gone over the total, while six have gone under and none have pushed. The team is 2-3 SU at home this season.
The Flames have converted on just 13.5 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that puts them in the bottom-5 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 24th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 73.8 percent of all penalties.
The Flames, as a collective unit, have been penalized just 3.4 times per game this season. Last year, that number was at 4.4, the second-highest figure in the league. After serving an average of 11.2 penalty minutes per game a year ago, the team has had to kill penalties for just 7.3 minutes per matchup this season.
Averaging 23.2 saves per game with a .878 save percentage, Mike Smith (4-5-1) has been the top goalkeeper for Calgary this season. If head coach Bill Peters chooses to give him the night off, however, Calgary may go with David Rittich (3-3-3 record, .939 save percentage, 2.08 goals against average).
The Flames will continue to look for offensive production from Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan. Gaudreau (16 points) has tallied six goals and 10 assists and has recorded multiple points four times this year. Monahan has five goals and nine assists to his name and has recorded a point in nine games.
On the other bench, Colorado is 7-5 straight up (SU) and has earned 2.0 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 12 regular season matches, seven of its games have gone under the total, while five have gone over and none have pushed. As the road team so far, the Avalanche are 4-3 SU.
The Avalanche have converted on 23.9 percent of their power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked fourth overall and it’s successfully killed off 88.5 percent of all penalties.
Colorado’s players have been called for penalties 5.1 times per game this season. Last year, that number was at 4.0, which was the eighth-highest mark in the league. After serving an average of 9.2 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team’s been forced to kill penalties for 11.3 minutes per outing this year.
Semyon Varlamov (31.1 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for Colorado. Varlamov has four wins, four losses, and two OT losses to his credit, while registering a .950 save percentage and 1.62 goals against average this year.
For the visiting Avalanche, the offense will run through Mikko Rantanen (five goals, 16 assists) and Nathan MacKinnon (nine goals, nine assists).
Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames Betting Picks
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Notes
Betting Trends
The total has gone under in three of Calgary’s last five games.
Colorado skaters registered 20.4 hits per game last season, while the Flames logged 20.0 hits per contest.
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