The Colorado Avalanche will look to push their home winning streak to 17 games tonight versus the visiting Boston Bruins, who begin a three-game road trip tonight. The Avalanche are riding an incredible 17-2 SU stretch and haven’t lost at home since November 3.
Can Pavel Francouz continue to stay hot and stymie this Boston offense after posting back-to-back shutouts? Can the Bruins shake off that 5-3 loss to the Ducks as heavy -244 home NHL betting favorites?
Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Bruins vs. Avalanche.
Bruins vs Avalanche odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
The Avalanche have moved as low as -160 and as high as -185 after opening at -175 on the ML on Tuesday. The total sits at 6 and leans heavily to the Over. These two clubs have not met since 2019.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Bruins vs Avalanche predictions
- Prediction: Avalanche 3-way ML (-115)
- Prediction: Under 6 (+100)
- Best bet: Avalanche 3-way ML (-115)
Predictions made on 1/26/2022 at 12:30 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Bruins vs Avalanche game info
• Location: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
• Date: Wednesday, January 26, 2022
• Puck drop: 10:00 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Bruins vs Avalanche betting preview
Key injuries
Bruins: Nick Foligno F (Out), Matt Grzelcyk D (Questionable).
Avalanche: Bowen Byram D (Out), Ryan Murray F (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Bruins vs Avalanche head-to-head record (since 2017)
Bruins: 1-5 SU, 11 goals for.
Avalanche: 5-1 SU, 25 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 5-0-1 in Avalanche’s last six games as a favorite. Find more NHL betting trends for Bruins vs. Avalanche.
Bruins vs Avalanche picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline analysis
The Boston Bruins will be tasked with doing something no team has been able to do since the beginning of November, which is to beat the Avalanche on home ice. Since their overtime loss to the Blue Jackets on November 3, the Avs have ripped off 16 straight home wins and have outscored their opponents 76-37 in the process. Since the beginning of November, the Avs lead the league with a .828% point percentage. The one thing that had been slowing them down — goaltending — has also seemed to be solved with the recent play of Pavel Francouz.
Since Darcy Kuemper got pulled versus the Maple Leafs on January 8, Francouz has been seeing more starts and is 6-0 SU (in four starts) with a 1.65 GAA and a .942 SV%. This was a Colorado team that was stacking wins while still allowing 3.37 goals per game. Now that it's getting solid netminding, betting against this team is not recommended right now.
Colorado's goalscoring has slowed down a bit of late but this is still the best offense in hockey (4.10 goals per game). The Bruins haven’t been their normal stingy selves since Christmas, as Bruce Cassidy’s club is allowing nearly 3.00 goals per game over that stretch. Boston is 10-3 SU over the last month but 10 of those games came on home ice, which is where the Bruins have played their last seven games.
Following seven straight comfortable games at home, the Bruins have a tough road trip that starts tonight in Colorado, heads to Arizona on Friday, and then Dallas for Sunday. Those are a lot of miles in five days.
The Bruins haven’t announced a starter in net yet but neither choice is giving us much confidence. Tuukka Rask gave up five goals to the below-average Anaheim offense on Monday. He’s allowed 14 goals in his four starts since joining the team and was pulled in one of them. Backup Linus Ullmark has allowed three goals in each of the two games he’s started since Rask came aboard, as well. Ullmark was playing great and there is an argument to be had that Rask jumping back into the lineup was detrimental to Ullmark’s production.
The Bruins have been relying on an offense that has caught lightning in a bottle and is scoring 3.92 goals per game but the Avs are a great defensive team that sits third in goal% and fifth in xgoals against at even strength. The Bruins are a great 5-on-5 team in their own right, but the Avalanche are playing their best defensive hockey right now and have surrendered just six goals in their last six games.
No team has taken two points in regulation versus the Avalanche at home since October 26, which is a stretch of 18 straight games. Colorado hasn’t needed to score five goals to win games lately, as the Under is 5-1 in its last six, all of which have been victories.
This +155 ML price might be a little short, but not by much. Toronto recently closed at +150 in Colorado and the Rangers closed at +170. Boston is closer to +170 here in our opinion. We’re happy to ride this home heater that the Avs are on, especially with Boston’s goalie struggles of late and Francouz on a shutout streak.
Prediction: Avalanche 3-way ML (-115)
Over/Under analysis
It wasn’t long ago that it seemed the books couldn’t set Colorado totals high enough. There was a stretch just after Christmas where the Avs were 7-0-1 to the Over but since then they are 5-0-1 to the Under. The market hasn’t fully corrected to the Avalanche playing some lower-scoring games of late and with a total that has hit 6.5 periodically, we’re leaning to the Under here.
Francouz has been what the doctor ordered for Colorado, as he's given this team the best goaltending it’s seen all season. He hasn’t been confirmed for tonight, but since he’s been the only Colorado goalie to post back-to-back shutouts since Patrick Roy, we’d imagine he gets the nod tonight.
Staying with the speculation angle, we’d like to see Ullmark get the green light for the Bruins. Rask has looked inconsistent which is understandable with the long layover but Ullmark is the better option in net at this point. Before Rask joined the club, Ullmark was 7-1 SU in his previous eight starts.
Both teams rank in the Top 5 in most defensive 5-on-5 metrics and the Bruins are one of the best defensive even-strength teams in hockey as they lead the league in high-danger shots allowed per game, expected goals against, and are second in expected goal differential. Both clubs are also in the Top 10 in shots allowed since Christmas.
It is a little fishy when this total won’t commit to the 6.5 despite a pair of teams that are scoring nearly 4.00 goals per game since Christmas. We’re hoping to see another defensive performance from the Avs and the Bruins to get back to what they’re best at.
It’s an Under 6 at even money for us here.
Prediction: Under 6 (+100)
Best bet
It’s been tough to find any value with the Avs at home this season but -115 on the 3-way moneyline is one of the better prices we've seen. Colorado has been keeping its opponents off the scoreboard of late and Francouz is riding a heater. Conversely, the Bruins have overhauled their goaltending identity since Rask suited up and the results haven’t been great since. Getting a team at -115 to win in regulation while on a 16-game home winning streak is a deal.
Pick: Avalanche 3-way ML (-115)
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