Phoenix Coyotes at Colorado Avalanche Betting Odds
Opening Moneyline: Phoenix +115 / Colorado -135 O/U 5 goals
Time: 9 PM EST Friday February 11, 2010
These teams were in the cellar of the Western Conference last season, but each is in the heart of the playoff race this season. The Coyotes hold the 4th position in the West and the Avalanche hold the 6th position.
Both teams have been playing well lately, as Colorado has won 3 in row and are 6-4 in their last 10 games and Phoenix has won 2 in a row and is 8-2 in their last 10 games.
This season the Avalanche are 19-8-2 at home and the Coyotes are 15-11-3 on the road.
Both teams played on Wednesday and both won, as Colorado beat Atlanta Thrashers 4-3 and Phoenix beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2.
Sure the Avalanche are the favorites in this game AND they have won 4 in a row at home, but the Coyotes are a solid team away from the desert and they have won 5 of their last 6 road games.
Phoenix has not made the playoffs in the last 7 years and in their last win they matched their point total from last season.
It is not hard to pinpoint why the Coyotes have turned things around, as it is their defense is why Phoenix is poised to make the playoffs. Their defense is only allowing 2.44 goals per game this season and G Ilya Bryzgalov (32 wins 2.30 GAA save percentage 92.1%) has been solid between the pipes. Bryzgalov ranks 4th in the league in wins, 8th in GAA, and 10th in save percentage.
The Coyotes' defense has to play well in this game against an Avalanche offense that ranks eighth in the league in scoring (2.90 goals per game).
Unlike the Coyotes the Avalanche have turned things around with an improved offense, but they also have been getting good goalie play.
Colorado G Craig Anderson (30 wins 2.43 GAA save percentage 92.4%) has been solid all season and has been en fuego as of late. The Avalanche are 8-2 in their last 10 home games and Anderson has a minute 1.21 GAA in that stretch. He will be not be facing a high scoring Coyotes team, as Phoenix only ranks 18th in the league on offense (2.61 goals per game).
In the only meeting of these two teams this season the Coyotes beat the Avalanche 4-1 in Colorado in the beginning of November.
Phoenix has an Under record of 18-7-3 in their last 28 road games and has an Under record of 4-1 in their last 5 games.
Colorado has an Over record of 4-1 in their last 5 games and has an Under record of 5-2 in their last 7 home games against teams that have a winning record.
In the last six games in this match up the total has gone Under five 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.