Bettors are following the news this afternoon for updates on the health status of the Avs star defenceman, and Mark Stone for Vegas
The NHL’s Western Conference Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights heads back to Sin City for Game 3 tonight, and all everyone is talking about is the health status of Avalanche star defenceman Cale Maker.
Vegas holds a 2-0 series lead after sweeping the first two games on the road, and are firmly in the driver’s seat, heading back to home ice.
So this morning’s Avalanche skate at T-Mobile Arena is going to be a stakeout.
“He will tell us when he is ready to play,” said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar, adding Makar has been in the gym strengthening his “upper body” injury, likely a shoulder, and has been on the ice testing it. Makar will have to figure out his pain tolerance, Bednar added.
“We have to find a way to produce,” he said.
The Golden Knights are up after two tight games in Colorado, so expect the same tonight. It’s desperation time for the Avalanche.
Lots of buzz about the Golden Knights’ Mitch Marner being a betting favourite for Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP at this point, but don’t sleep on Vegas goalie Carter Hart, whose excellent play the entire playoffs is becoming a real talking point. The Avs have scored just three times in this series so far.
Credit Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella for seeing what he had in Hart, who was third on the goalie depth chart when Tortorella took over as head coach March 29, with just a handful of games left in the regular season.
The Golden Knights have vaulted up in Betway Stanley Cup futures today, at +200, behind the Carolina Hurricanes, at +160, but ahead of the Avalanche at +400 and the Montreal Canadiens at +425.
The Avalanche have led the way in shortest Stanley Cup odds the entire season, so that tells us the impact the absence of Makar is having, and how important he is to the Colorado lineup.
BEST BETS
Colorado Avalanche at Vegas Golden Knights, 8 p.m. EST, T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
Vegas Golden Knights lead series 2-0
In NHL betting at Betway at noon today, the Avalanche are Moneyline favourites, at -140, with Las Vegas at +120. Puckline is Colorado -1.5 (+165), Vegas +1.5 (-210). Over/Under is 5.5 (O -130, U +110).
ATS Colorado -1.5 (+165)
I’m going to go out on a limb, bank on Makar somehow making it back, with the psychological impact that will bring to the Avalanche lineup and take that higher payout than making the standard Moneyline bet.
Colorado was the No. 1 team in the NHL for a reason. Credit the Tortorella-coached Golden Knights for containing and frustrating them the first two games in Colorado, but no way they hold the Avalanche down three games straight.
Colorado wins tonight (take them on the Moneyline if you want) but I like those plus odds.
Nathan MacKinnon Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-115)
Very solid bet for tonight. MacKinnon is Top 3 in the league, and he looked visibly frustrated over those first two games.
He’s going to see plenty of usage tonight, with Colorado in desperation mode, and will direct a ton of shots at Hart. The Avalanche offence runs through him. For what it’s worth, he’s hit on four-plus shots in 11 of his last 14 games against Vegas.
I’d even be looking at MacKinnon Over 0.5 Goals at Betway, at +100, if I were you. MacKinnon is going to be a big focus for me in prop betting tonight.
Over 5.5 Total Goals (-130)
That 5.5 number is low for me, again, especially if Maker makes it back. Both teams have close to identical percentages in power play success – Vegas 24.4, Colorado 24.1.
Jack Eichel is going to continue to be a machine for Vegas, and I’ve loved the play of Marner, Brett Howden, Ivan Barbashev, and Pavel Dorofeyev, ratcheted up on home ice tonight.
It’s been a helluva series so far, and tonight is going to be epic.
Check back with me in a few hours, once we get updates on Makar, and Mark Stone for Vegas, another impact player, out since the Anaheim Ducks series with a lower body injury, but also on the ice with the team in practices of late.
