Coyotes (3-0 ATS, 3-0 Under) Visit Avalanche (3-0 ATS, 2-0 Over): Saturday, October 12 Betting Preview
- The Arizona Coyotes and Colorado Avalanche face-off Saturday (Oct. 12, 9 PM ET)
- The Coyotes have scored the fewest goals in the league, while the Avalanche are one of the NHL’s highest scoring teams
- Read below to see our picks for the best spread and total bets for this matchup
The Arizona Coyotes (1-2) and Colorado Avalanche (3-0) clash Saturday (Oct. 12, 9 PM ET) in a battle of two teams with completely different identities. The Coyotes are the NHL’s lowest scoring team, while the Avalanche are one of just eight clubs who average four or more goals per game.
Andre Burakovsky’s first goal in burgundy and blue is that sweet, sweet game-winner!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/AelKMzfSH1
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 11, 2019
Our Coyotes vs Avalanche odds show that Colorado has remained a strong favorite since the opening line was released, but that money has come in on the total, knocking it down from 6 to 5.5.
Arizona Coyotes vs Colorado Avalanche Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Over/Under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona Coyotes | +130 | +1.5 (-215) | Over 5.5 (-115) |
| Colorado Avalanche | -155 | -1.5 (+170) | Under 5.5 (-110) |
*All odds taken 10/11/19.
All three Arizona games this season have gone under the total, and the under is 5-0 in the last five Coyotes road games dating back to last season.
Recipe for Low Scoring Affairs
Arizona games this season have produced a grand total of nine goals. For context, three games on Thursday’s NHL schedule featured double-digit goal outputs, led by the Predators 6-5 victory over the Capitals. As mentioned, the Coytoes offense is anemic but the defense and goaltending are superb. Only the Flyers have surrendered fewer goals than Arizona, and no goalie is hotter than Darcy Kuemper.
Darcy Kuemper with one AMAZING save! pic.twitter.com/womzSsyt5o
— FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) October 6, 2019
The Coyotes netminder has stopped 89 of the 93 shots he’s faced so far this season, and dating back to last year he’s allowed two or fewer goals in 10 straight starts. Shockingly, he’s only won four of those games, but that’s because he plays for a team devoid of offensive talent.
Arizona has just one player who’s scored 30 times in a season since 2011, and only two players on this year’s squad average three shots on goal per game. They’re one of only four teams without a power play goal this season, and haven’t scored five times in a game since March 14th against the Panthers.
Arizona has just one player who’s scored 30 times in a season since 2011, and only two players on this year’s squad average three shots on goal per game. They’re one of only four teams without a power play goal this season, and haven’t scored five times in a game since March 14th against the Panthers.
They’re one of the best under plays every time they’re on the board as only six of their last 21 outings have produced goal totals above 5.
An Avalanche of Talent
The reason why this game total isn’t even lower is due to the avalanche of talent on the Colorado roster. The Avs top line is one of the most dangerous in hockey, and has accounted for 46% of their goals this season.
Mikko Rantanen delivered the Opening Night game-winning goal and it just felt right.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/WEmAjAphp6
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 4, 2019
Mikko Rantanen and Hart trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon lead Colorado with five points apiece, and have helped the Avs average the fifth most goals per game (4.33) despite facing the Flames, Bruins and the always-stingy Wild in their first three games of the season.
It’s fascinating that they’re 3-0 versus the over this season because, contrary to other popular over bets like the Blackhawks and Maple Leafs, Colorado has been one the better defensive teams so far.
They’ve allowed just seven goals in their first three games, and Phillipp Grubauer has been excellent in net posting a .931 save percentage. Their opening tilt versus the Flames flew over the total, but each of the last two contests barely cleared the number and Saturday’s matchup has all the ingredients to go under.
Avs Plus the Under
Another reason to be bullish on the under in this game is the special teams play of the Coyotes. Arizona has taken the fewest penalties in the league, but when they have been shorthanded they’ve yet to surrender a goal.
Conversely, the Coyotes dismal offense has yet to score on the power play, and it’s very difficult to hit overs if the teams in play aren’t capitalizing with the man advantage. Colorado is light years ahead of Arizona in terms of skill, but the Coyotes brand of hockey will keep this game low scoring and close.
Instead of betting a side or a total, why not parlay the Avs plus the under for a juicy +229 payday.
As SBD's resident Swiss Army Knife, Chris covers virtually every sport including NFL, PGA, NBA, MLB, NCAAB, NCAAF and the Olympics. A true grinder, he'd rather pick off small edges in the player props market than swing for the fences with a 5-leg parlay.
