Calgary Flames at Colorado Avalanche Betting Odds
Opening Moneyline: Calgary +115 / Colorado -135 O/U 5 goals
Time: 9:30 PM EST Friday April 2, 2010
Tonight in a huge Western Conference match up the struggling Colorado Avalanche host the Calgary Flames. The Avalanche are in the 8th spot in the West, but they only lead the 9th place Flames by 2 points. Calgary can pull even with Colorado if they beat the Avalanche in regulation tonight.
The Avalanche have lost 3 in a row and are 4-5-1 in their last 10 games and the Flames have won 2 straight and are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games.
This season the Avalanche are 23-12-2 at home and the Flames are 19-13-6 on the road.
Both teams played on Wednesday night in their last games but with different results, as the Avalanche lost to the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 and the Flames beat the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1.
The Flames come into this game with a ton of confidence, as in winning 2 in a row both of the teams they beat have at least 100 points this season.
Colorado has allowed 15 goals in their 3-game losing streak.
Colorado's defense is mediocre, at best, allowing 2.72 goals per game and even though Calgary only ranks 28th in the league in scoring (2.51 goals per game) the Flames will be facing struggling G Craig Anderson (36 wins 2.63 GAA save percentage 91.7%). Anderson is 1-5-1 with a GAA of 4.25 in his last 7 starts.
The Avalanche defense will have to key on Calgary's Jarome Iginla, who leads the Flames in goals (32), assists (37), and points (69).
The Flames won their last game against the Avalanche, which snapped their 6-game losing streak against Colorado.
Calgary G Miikka Kiprusoff (34 wins 2.26 GAA save percentage 92.1%) will likely get the start tonight and he will be facing a Colorado offense that is solid ranking 6th in the league in scoring (2.91 goals per game).
The last several games between these 2 teams have been close, as the score in the last 5 has been 3-2.
Betting Trends
Calgary is 4-0 in their last 4 games against teams with a winning record, 6-13 in their last 19 after scoring 2 goals or less in their previous game, and have an Under record of 8-3-5 in their last 16 road games against teams with a home winning percentage of greater than 60%.
Colorado is 1-6 in their last 7 games against teams with a winning record, 1-6 in their last 7 games overall, and has an Over record of 6-0 in their last 6 games.
In the last 5 meetings between these 2 teams the total has gone Under every time.
Our Selection : Take Calgary +115.
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.