NHL betting can be an emotional roller-coaster. Case in point: Game 3 between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.
The Stars scored first but the Avs responded with three straight goals. Dallas then took the lead back with three consecutive goals of their own before Colorado again scored three times in a row to win by a final score of 6-4.
With that victory, Colorado is now down 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinals. Let’s break down the hockey odds with our free NHL picks and predictions for Game 4 between the Avalanche and Stars on Sunday, August 30 (6 p.m. ET).
Dallas Stars vs Colorado Avalanche betting preview
Starting Goalies
Avalanche: Pavel Francouz - playoffs - 2-3, 2.69 GAA, .908 SV%
Stars: Anton Khudobin - playoffs - 6-4, 2.75 GAA, .913 SV%
Francouz has looked shaky in nets since taking over as the Avs' No. 1 netminder following Phillipp Grubauer's injury midway through Game 1. After allowing four goals in Wednesday's contest, Francouz has surrendered 10 goals on 83 shots in this series.
That said, Francouz looked great during the regular season in what was essentially his rookie campaign, going 21-7-4 with a 2.41 GAA and a .923 save percentage.
Khudobin is coming off an ugly performance, surrendering five goals on 31 shots. The Russian had played very well in the postseason prior to that contest and finished the regular season with a league-best .930 save percentage and a GAA of 2.20 through 30 games.
Khudobin has taken over as his team's top goalie following an undisclosed injury to Ben Bishop, but Bishop is trending in the right direction and might be seen later in the series.
Injuries
Avalanche: Joonas Donskoi RW (questionable), Matt Calvert LW (questionable), Erik Johnson D (out), Philipp Grubauer G (out), Colin Wilson C (out)
Stars: Ben Bishop G (out), Stephen Johns D (out), Martin Hanzal C (out)
Find our latest NHL injury reports for every game.
Betting Trend to Know
The Avalanche are 6-18 in their last 24 Conference Semifinals games. Find more NHL betting trends for Stars vs. Avalanche.
Moneyline Pick
The Stars have gone 6-2 against the Avalanche in the last eight meetings between these teams, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise how well they've played in this series.
The Avs lost the first two games of the semifinals in convincing fashion, and although they pulled off the win in Game 3 to prevent a 3-0 series deficit, the Stars looked like they had the edge until midway through the third period.
In fact, Dallas had more shots (37 to 32) and more high-danger chances (17 to 9) than Colorado, and it was only a rare poor performance from Khudobin that led to a collapse. Now that the Stars offense is clicking, they are a very dangerous and well-rounded team that has shown they are just as good as the Avs.
With oddsmakers still installing them as underdogs with plus money, don't hesitate to back them.
PREDICTION: Moneyline Stars (+125)
Over/Under Pick
The Stars might not have won on Wednesday, but their offense continued to play very well, scoring four goals and generating 37 shots on net. They've now scored 4.67 goals per game over their last six contests, a massive jump from their regular-season average
Led by Nathan Mackinnon, the Avalanche have been an offensive juggernaut all season, ranking fourth in the NHL in scoring during the regular season and averaging 36.5 shots and 3.82 goals per game since the restart.
The Avs have now cashed the Over in six straight games while the Stars have hit the Over in four consecutive contests. Bet the Over again.
PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (-110)
Period Prop
The Avalanche had a massive second period in Game 3, scoring three unanswered goals. That follows a Game 2 which saw a total of 5 goals in the second frame and a Game 1 which saw the two sides combine for three scores in the period.
During the regular season, Colorado paced the league with 95 goals scored during the second period, while Dallas currently leads the league in second-period goals during the postseason with 19 through 12 games. Expect another high-scoring second period on Friday
PREDICTION: Alternate total goals in the second period - Over 2 (+135)
Avalanche vs Stars Betting Card
- Moneyline Stars (+125)
- Over 5.5 (-110)
- Alternate total goals in the second period - Over 2 (+135)
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