Stars vs Avalanche Game 2 Odds & Picks – Aug 24

• The Dallas Stars lead the Colorado Avalanche 1-0 in their second-round playoff series
• Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the Saturday’s game with an apparent groin injury
• Here’s why replacement goalie Pavel Francouz and Colorado are in prime position to even the series in Game 2

Things couldn’t have gone much worse for Colorado in Game 1 against Dallas on Saturday night.

They lost the game 5-3 and lost their starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer to an apparent groin injury. There is good news however. They’ll have a day off to rest before entering Game 2 as favorites to even the series.

Stars vs Avalanche Game 2 Odds

Odds as of August 23rd.

Compare the odds above to the odds from Game 1 and you’ll notice not much has changed. Despite losing the game and potentially their starter in goal, Colorado is still getting respect. Why is that? A deep dive into a couple key numbers makes it all very clear.

Can Stars Top Line Be Trusted Long Term?

The Stars’ top offensive unit of Alexander Radulov, Tyler Seguin, and Jamie Benn were incredible in Game 1. The trio combined for three goals and five assists and is, without doubt, the main reason Dallas currently holds a 1-0 series lead.

Nathan MacKinnon‘s 1.32 points per game played in the postseason is the fourth-highest total in #StanleyCup Playoffs history. https://t.co/TImkpgpZQb #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/f5vds1n8Ex

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) August 23, 2020

So, what’s not to like? The ice time stats seem to suggest this level of production will likely be a one-off. None of the three players reached the 16 minute mark in ice time. Let that sink in for a second. Nathan MacKinnon played over 24 minutes in this one.

When push comes to shove, the reality is the Stars’   top line is older and incapable of handling a heavy workload. The production off the charts in the opening game of the series, but I’d expect them to be outscored by a wide margin the rest of the series by Colorado’s top unit.

Pavel Francouz Is the Next Goalie Up

When Grubauer went down with his injury, there was little to like about his exit. No part of him being helped off by players and trainers would make you think he’ll return any time soon. So if the Avalanche were beat once and don’t have their starter, why didn’t the odds shift? Backup Pavel Francouz is the answer to that question.

Here's the Grubauer injury. He's helped off the ice and Francouz is now in net #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/8r1GEJpf78

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) August 23, 2020

Francouz went 21-7-4 in the regular season with a 2.41 goals against average and .923 save percentage. Don’t let Colorado’s embarrassment of riches between the pipes fool you; Francouz would start in goal on about half the teams in the league.

He started once against Arizona in the opening round and once in the round robin. That start was a 4-0 shutout victory over, you guessed it, the Dallas Stars. In this case, a change in the crease does not equal a downgrade, and that’s important without knowing the extent of Grubauer’s injury.

Consider a Parlay In Game 2

I like two separate bets in the Stars vs Avalanche odds for Game 2, and you could pair them together for a potentially big payout. I like Colorado to respond and even the series and I also like the Under for two separate reasons: the Stars top guns won’t be able to produce like that in back to back games, especially against a stud goalie like Francouz. Bet them separate or bet them together; the choice is yours, but I’m making my picks with confidence.

Game 2 Picks: Avalanche Moneyline (-162) & Under 5.5 Goals (-127)