NHL Best Bets: Avalanche vs. Flames Game Picks

Two teams looking to make deep playoff runs once again will collide tonight, with the Colorado Avalanche visiting the Calgary Flames.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Colorado Avalanche (+104) vs. Calgary Flames (-125) Total: 6 (O-118, U-106) 

It certainly hasn’t been the start to the regular season for the defending Stanley Cup Champion Colorado Avalanche. Injuries have played a large part in that, but they just haven’t had the same rhythm they brought to the table last year. The Avs enter this matchup sitting four points out of a playoff spot and have some games in hand, but they just haven’t brought a lot of consistency to the ice of late. Over the Avs past ten games, they’ve posted a 3-6-1 record, even after winning two straight games. 

The Flames currently occupy the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and have posted a 5-3-2 record over that same sample size. Calgary has posted a strong home record of 12-7-2, while the Avs are 11-9 as the visitors. Calgary is listed as slight home favorites on the moneyline at -125, while the Avs are priced at +104. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Avs are expected to lean on Pavel Francouz, while the Flames should do the same with Jacob Markstrom. The Avs netminder has posted a 6-6 record, paired with a .917 save percentage, while Markstrom is sitting at 13-11-5, along with a .894 save percentage. The Flames goalie is much better than his numbers suggest, but he hasn’t been able to put together any long stretches of consistency this year. 

Despite the Avs getting healthier again, they clearly need some reinforcements on offense because they’ve continued to struggle in the goal-scoring department. The Flames are a solid defensive team, and if they can get at least get competent goaltending from Markstrom in this matchup, there’s no reason you shouldn’t really like the value of their moneyline price tonight of -125 at home. 

Best Bet: Flames moneyline (-125) 

It’s clear that the current focus of both these teams is to play a solid defensive game. The Avs enter this matchup sitting 11th in goals allowed per game, while the Flames aren’t far behind them in 15th. In saying that, these teams met early this season, back in October, and combined to score eight goals, but the circumstances are certainly different right now. Over the Avs past five games, three matchups have seen six or more goals scored, while the Flames have also seen those same trends transpire over that sample size. With the recent numbers these teams have compiled, there’s value in backing the over six at -118. 

Best Bet: Over 6 (-118) 

Goal scoring hasn’t been the strong suit for the Calgary Flames, but that doesn’t mean their roster lacks strong offensive players. They still have some nice depth at forward, and there’s some value in targeting one of their top forwards tonight. Elias Lindholm has tallied 40 points in 44 games and also leads the team with five points over their past five games. Lindholm is a player that the Flames rely on to play a two-way game, and he’s brought that in waves this season. The Swedish center is currently listed at +200 to score tonight, and there’s value in that price point to target. 

Best Prop: Elias Lindholm to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+200)