Anaheim Ducks at Colorado Avalanche Betting Odds
Opening Moneyline: Anaheim +145 / Colorado -165 O/U 5.5 goals
Time: 9 PM EST Wednesday March 31, 2010
Tonight in the Mile High City the struggling Colorado Avalanche host the desperate Anaheim Ducks. A couple weeks back the Avalanche were on solid playoff ground, but now they are in the 8th and last playoff spot only 4 points ahead of 9th place Calgary. The Ducks need to finish the season on fire, as they are 9 points behind Colorado for the last playoff spot.
The Avalanche have lost 2 in a row and are only 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and the Ducks have won 2 in a row and are 6-4 in their last 10 games.
This season the Avalanche are 23-11-2 at home and the Ducks are 12-20-5 on the road.
In their last games the Ducks beat the Dallas Stars 3-1 on Monday and the Avalanche lost to the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Sunday.
Colorado was at the bottom of the West last season, but this season has been solid and one of the main reasons is G Craig Anderson (36 wins 2.60 GAA save percentage 91.9%). He has been a workhorse this season starting 66 games, which is a franchise record, and 29 of the last 30 games. The load may be taking its toll, as Anderson is only 1-4-1 with a GAA of 4.12 in his last 6 starts.
Anaheim has a good offense ranking 12th in the league in scoring (2.76 goals per game), but their Achilles Heel is their defense, which is giving up an average of 2.96 goals per game.
The Ducks' defense has to key on Peter Mueller, who has 7 goals and 10 assists in 12 games since being traded from Phoenix.
Colorado lost to Anaheim a little over a week ago and Anderson was pulled after giving up 4 goals.
The Avalanche has the leagues 6th highest scoring offense (2.92 goals per game) and tonight will be facing Ducks' backup G p Curtis McElhinney (3 wins GAA 1.97 save percentage 93.3%), as starter Jonas Hiller has an inured back. McElhinney is 3-0-0 with a GAA of only 1.97 GAA in 4 games with the Ducks since being traded from Calgary.
The Ducks are 6-1-0 in their last 7 games against the Avalanche and have scored 15 goals in 3 straight wins in Colorado.
Betting Trends
Anaheim is 6-2 in their last 8 games, 2-5 in their last 7 road games, and has an Under record of 4-0 in their last 4 games.
Colorado is 1-5 in their last 6 games, 8-3 in their last 11 home games, 9-3 in their last 12 games against teams with a losing record, and has an Over record of 5-0 in their last 5 games.
In the last 6 games between these 2 teams the total has gone Over 5 times.
Our Selection : Take Under 5.5 goals.
Future Betting Odds
NHL Handicapping
Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins 5-17
The Boston Bruins need to play much better in game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The Bruins lost the opener 5-2 at home and can ill-afford to fall behind 2-0 to Lightning. Tampa Bay are on quite a roll, winning their last eight in a row in the playoffs. The oddsmaker at Bodog have the Bruins as a -145 favorite to even-up the series.