Golden Knights vs Avalanche Game 2 Odds and Picks – Vegas Listed as Huge Underdogs to Even Series
- The Colorado Avalanche host the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of their 2nd Round series Wednesday, June 2nd
- Nathan MacKinnon leads the playoffs with eight goals despite playing in only five games
- Here are the odds, team previews, and the best value bet available
The Colorado Avalanche are a perfect 5-0 in the NHL playoffs.
They put that record on the line Wednesday night in game two against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Avalanche are listed as big favorites and when you take a deep dive into the numbers, it’s easy to see why.
Golden Knights vs Avalanche Game 2 Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline at DraftKings | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vegas Golden Knights | +1.5 (-165) | +160 | O 5.5 (-120) |
| Colorado Avalanche | -1.5 (+135) | -186 | U 5.5 (-103) |
Odds as of June 1st
Vegas lost game one 7-1 and lost enforcer Ryan Reaves for two games due to suspension after an ugly incident in the opener. Let’s take a deep dive into both teams ahead of game two to try and find the best value bet on the board.
MacKinnon Proving Impossible To Stop
A big story in the NHL playoffs has been top stars being eliminated early. The second round is without Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, Patrick Kane and many others. One elite force that’s still playing is Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon.
Despite having only played five games in the playoffs, he leads the league with eight goals and is tied for the lead with 12 points. His six goals at even-strength are more than any other player has total goals. He’s putting up video game like numbers and frankly, he should probably be playing on a higher difficulty setting.
MacKinnon’s speed doesn’t even look real
pic.twitter.com/yO3i3qWAZU— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) May 31, 2021
MacKinnon has at least two points in four of Colorado’s five playoff games so far. The most astonishing thing is he’s doing it without chewing up any extra ice time. He averaged 20:45 in the regular season and has only bumped that up to 21:31 in the post-season. That means his other talented teammates still have plenty of opportunity to put goals up on the board as well.
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Vegas Change In Goal Backfired In Game One
The Golden Knights used both Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner frequently during the regular season. Head coach Peter DeBoer said prior to the playoffs he planned to use both, but in the opening round only Fleury saw time. DeBoer opted to start Lehner in the opener of this series and it backfired in a big way. Lehner finished the game with a 7.03 goals against average and .811 save percentage. It was certainly a tough ask to have Lehner try and stop MacKinnon and company after not playing for weeks, but he didn’t do much with the opportunity.
Marc-Andre Fleury (@GoldenKnights), Philipp Grubauer (@Avalanche) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (@TBLightning) are the three finalists for the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy. https://t.co/kbe35DGGtR #NHLAwards pic.twitter.com/166QYfMrFA
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 1, 2021
Fleury will start in game two and that should be considered a big upgrade. Fleury ranks 3rd in the playoffs with a 1.71 goals against average and 8th with a .931 save percentage. The one main consideration here is, he put up those numbers against the Minnesota Wild and not the Avalanche. Could things look different against much stiffer competition?
Best Value Lays In The Total
Colorado has been a juggernaut and are just about impossible to bet against at this point. That said, -186 on the money line is not a very inviting number considering the Golden Knights finished tied with the Avalanche in points in the regular season. Consider looking at the total instead.
Golden Knights vs Avalanche Series Odds
| Series Odds at DraftKings | Total |
|---|---|
| Vegas Golden Knights | +360 |
| Colorado Avalanche | -500 |
Four of Colorado’s five playoff games have gone over the number. Those five games have seen a combined 35 goals, including eight in the opener of this series. Expect MacKinnon and company to keep rolling offensively, even with Fleury in the opposing goal. Trust Vegas to chip in on the total as well. They know going down 2-0 in the series would be a giant mountain to climb and should come out flying as well.
- The Pick: Over 5.5 Goals (-120)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
