Panthers vs Avalanche Prediction, Props, Injury News & Betting Trends for December 11

• The Avalanche are a massive favorite over the Panthers on Thursday, Dec. 11th at Ball Arena
• Colorado has just two regulation losses through 30 games and leads the NHL in goals per game
• See my Panthers vs Avalanche prediction below, plus prop picks, injury news and betting trends

The Panthers head to the Mile High City on Thursday night for what looks like a serious uphill battle against one of the NHL’s hottest teams.

Florida (15-12-2, 9-20 ATS) takes on Colorado (21-2-7, 16-14 ATS) in a matchup that features the best home team in hockey. The Avs are an absurd 11-0-2 at Ball Arena this season.

Puck drop is set for 9:30 pm ET from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado.

Panthers vs Avalanche Prediction

• Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (+110 on FanDuel)

My Panthers vs Avalanche prediction is that Colorado will dominate this matchup and cover the puck line. The Avalanche lead the NHL in both goals per game (3.93) and goals against (2.20), which is a ridiculous combination that’s nearly impossible to beat.

The Panthers are dealing with massive injury issues, with Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk both out indefinitely. That’s their two best forwards missing from the lineup, and it completely changes Florida’s offensive identity.

Florida is also playing the second game of a back-to-back after beating Utah 4-3 on Wednesday night. They’re 1-4 in their last five games on zero days rest, and that fatigue matters against a Colorado team that hasn’t suffered a home regulation loss this season.

Colorado has gone 16-1-3 in their last 20 games, and that aforementioned 11-0-2 home record isn’t a fluke. They’re outplaying opponents across every underlying metric.

At 5v5 over the last 10 games, Colorado’s goal differential sits at +13 (26-13) while Florida is dead even at 26-26. The Avs’ high-danger save percentage of 91.92% compared to Florida’s 86.54% is a huge gap that shows up in the win column.

I also like Over 6.5 Goals (+100) as a secondary pick. The over has hit in 4 of Colorado’s last 5 games at home following a loss, and they’re coming off that frustrating shootout defeat to Nashville. The over is also 5-7 in Florida’s last 7 road games. With big-money bettors hammering this bet (89.41% of the handle), the scoreboard should light up Thursday night.

Panthers vs Avalanche Props

In the Avalanche vs Panthers props, Nathan MacKinnon’s shot total sits at a lofty 4.5, the highest on the board. We can’t be too surprised given his volume shooting approach. MacKinnon’s assists line is heavily juiced at -211, showing how much the books expect him to set up teammates.

Cale Makar’s 1.5 points line at +163 offers solid value considering his 36 points through 30 games this season. Sam Reinhart leads Florida’s prop offerings at +180 to score, while Sam Bennett sits at +230 after his two-goal performance against Utah on Wednesday.

Player props odds at consensus sportsbooks as of December 11, 2025. Check out the top NHL betting apps for Avs vs Panthers.

Without furhter ado, here are my Florida vs Colorado prop picks for Thursday night:

• Devon Toews Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (-115)

I’m targeting Devon Toews to go over 1.5 shots on goal as my most confident player prop on the board.

This play features one of the strongest trends available for this matchup. When the Avalanche are favored, Toews becomes a consistent shooting threat from the blueline. He’s exceeded 1.5 shots on goal in 8 of his last 9 games as a favorite, hitting this mark at an 89% clip while averaging 2.6 shots per game in those contests.

Against a banged-up Panthers squad on zero days rest, Colorado should dominate possession. That means Toews should have plenty of chances to keep this hot stretch rolling.

• Carter Verhaeghe Under 2.5 Shots on Goal (-134)

I’m also backing Verhaeghe to stay under 2.5 shots on goal. While he’s a key offensive piece for Florida, he’s struggled to generate shots when playing as an underdog.

Verhaeghe has failed to exceed 2.5 shots on goal in 5 straight games as an underdog, averaging just 1.0 shot per game in that span. Colorado’s stingy defense at Ball Arena should keep his chances scarce.

Florida vs Colorado Injury News

Florida’s injury list puts them at a clear disadvantage Thursday night. The Panthers are missing Matthew Tkachuk (groin) and Aleksander Barkov (knee), their two most dynamic forwards.

That’s not all. Florida is also without Jonah Gadjovich (upper body), Dmitry Kulikov (upper body), Tomas Nosek (knee) and Cole Schwindt (arm). Six total bodies out of the lineup.

Colorado is relatively healthy by comparison. Logan O’Connor (hip) remains out, while Scott Wedgewood (concussion) is day-to-day after getting crashed into during Tuesday’s shootout.

Mackenzie Blackwood gets the start for the Avalanche. He’s posted an 8-1-1 record with a 2.21 GAA and .920 save percentage this season. Daniil Tarasov counters for Florida on the back-to-back, bringing a 3-4-1 record and 2.47 GAA into Ball Arena.

Panthers vs Avs Betting Trends

The public betting splits show overwhelming support for Colorado. A staggering 90.94% of the moneyline handle is backing the Avalanche, while 91.99% of puck line money is on them to cover. The public rarely gets this one-sided.

Colorado’s moneyline has moved from an opening of -250 down to -235, suggesting some money came in on Florida to make the line more competitive. The total has also seen action: the over opened at +105 but has been bet down to +100.

In their last five head-to-head meetings, Colorado has won three times. The Avs took the most recent matchup 3-1 last January and crushed Florida 7-4 in November of that same season. Three of those five games went over the total.

The Avalanche are 8-1 in their last nine against Atlantic Division teams. Florida actually has a solid 8-2 record in their last 10 road games versus teams with a home winning percentage above .600.

The 4-in-6 scheduling situation heavily favors Colorado here. The over is 7-1-1 in the Avalanche’s last nine games in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 stretch, while Florida is 2-6 straight up in their last eight games in that same spot.