Bruins vs. Avalanche Odds
| Bruins Odds | +106 |
| Avalanche Odds | -128 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +110o / -134u |
Here's everything you need to know about Bruins vs. Avalanche on Monday, Jan. 8 — our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Boston has dominated this matchup recently, winning each of the past three meetings between these two Stanley Cup contenders. Will the Bruins take care of business once again, or can Colorado secure a win on home ice?
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Bruins vs. Avalanche prediction and pick.
Boston Bruins
Any time you can catch Boston at plus-money, it is automatically worth consideration — even if it is on the road against a very capable Colorado team.
However, both teams are coming off the same amount of rest, and neither team is really at a disadvantage in the injury department. With that said, the Avalanche are definitely a bit more banged up than this healthy Bruins lineup.
The one aspect of this game in which the Bruins possess an undeniable advantage is in net, as goaltender Linus Ullmark is slated to guard the cage Monday evening. Ullmark is doing a terrific job defending his 2022-23 Vezina Trophy, posting a 13-5-2 record with a commanding .915 SV% and 2.74 GAA through 20 appearances in the crease.
Ullmark is 3-0 with a .930 SV% and 2.00 GAA over his past three starts. That success is likely to continue against the Avalanche, a team Ullmark is 2-0-1 against in his career with a .944 SV% and 1.64 GAA.
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Colorado Avalanche
Alexandar Georgiev is expected to start on the other side of the ice. His season has not gone nearly as well as Ullmark's, with Georgiev posting a .893 SV% and 2.98 GAA through 33 appearances between the pipes.
He's now allowed three or more goals in each of his past three starts, possessing a fade-worthy .841 SV% and 4.30 GAA over that stretch. To make matters worse, Georgiev is just 1-4-1 with a .902 SV% and 3.46 GAA over his past seven starts against Boston.
To be fair to Georgiev, Colorado's blue line has not played up to its typical standards this season. At 5-on-5, the Avalanche rank in the bottom half of the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
Bruins vs. Avalanche
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Avalanche's offense is their biggest advantage in this matchup. However, if any team is capable of slowing down Nathan MacKinnon and company, it is Ullmark and the strong two-way play of the Bruins.
A final aspect of this contest to look at is special teams, which is another clear advantage for Boston. Entering this matchup, Boston ranks higher in power-play percentage, penalty kill percentage and penalty minutes taken per game.
We are catching a particularly good price on the Bruins at +112 via FanDuel, a line that is 2-7 cents longer than the rest of the market.
Pick: Bruins ML (+112 via FanDuel | Play to +105)
