Detroit Red Wings at Colorado Avalanche Betting Odds
Opening Moneyline: Detroit +110 / Colorado -130 O/U 5.5 goals
Time: 9 PM EST Monday March 1, 2010 on Versus
The Olympic break is over, congrats Canada, and it is time for the rest of the NHL season. In the first game after the break the Colorado Avalanche host the Detroit Red Wings tonight. Both teams are hoping the break helped them out, as neither was playing well before the break. The Avalanche are only 5-5 in their last 10 games and the Red Wings are 3-3-4 in their last 10.
Currently Colorado is in the 6th position in the Western Conference while Detroit is on the outside looking in being in the 9th position. The Avalanche are looking to move up in the West while Detroit looks to simply make the top 8 so they can make the playoffs for the 19th straight season.
This season Colorado is 20-8-2 at home and Detroit is 12-13-7 on the road.
In their last games before the Olympic break Detroit beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1 on February 13th and the Avalanche were blanked losing to the L.A. Kings 3-0 also on the 13th.
The Red Wings have had many injuries this season, but the break may have helped them, as they will get back Tomas Holmstrom and Andreas Lilja.
The break may have helped the Avalanche a lot, as they only had 3 players that were on Olympic rosters.
One player that did not want the Olympics to come is Avalanche G Craig Anderson (31 wins 2.42 GAA save percentage 92.5%), who was 11-5-0 with a 1.80 GAA in Colorado's last 16 games.
Colorado has won 5 straight home games.
The Detroit defense and G Jimmy Howard (21 wins 2.28 GAA save percentage 92.7%) have top play well in this game. The Avalanche rank 9th in the league in scoring (2.84 goals per game), while the Red Wings have struggled on offense all season only ranking 22nd in scoring (2.54 goals per game).
The Avalanche have the 4th best home record in the West while the Red Wings are under .500 on the road this season.
Detroit is 1-4 in their last 5 games, 1-5 in their last 6 road games, and has an Over record of 5-2 in their last 7 road games.
Colorado is 4-1 in their last 5 games and has an Under record of 9-4 in their last 13 home games.
In their last 13 games in Colorado the Red Wings have won 10 times and in the last 11 games in Colorado between these 2 teams the total has gone Over 8 times.
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.