The NHL betting action goes on with a ten-game Saturday card, bringing plenty of interesting markets, so we’re taking a closer look at the Western Conference clash from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, to get you the best Flames vs. Avalanche betting pick and odds.

Calgary and Colorado open their three-game regular-season series. They meet each other for the first time since December 2019, and the Avs are listed as -143 moneyline favorites with a total of 6.5 goals on MyBookie Sportsbook.

The Flames failed to beat the worst team in the league         

The Calgary Flames (32-14-7) are coming off a shocking 5-4 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens this past Thursday. They were listed as -425 home favorites to beat the Habs, who owned the worst record in the NHL.

The Flames obviously underestimated Montreal, blowing a two-goal second-period lead. Winger Andrew Mangiapane led the way for Calgary with one goal and a couple of dishes, while Jacob Markstrom yielded five goals on 35 shots.

Markstrom is now 25-11-6 with a 2.17 GAA and .925 save percentage in 2021-22. He should get another starting call Saturday in Colorado. The Flames allow only 2.45 goals per game (2nd in the NHL) and score 3.47 in a return (6th) on a 9.7 shooting percentage (tied-14th).

The Avs just suffered a huge upset          

The Colorado Avalanche (40-11-4) put an end to their four-game winning streak last Thursday. They suffered a 2-1 defeat at the lowly Arizona Coyotes, playing as massive -400 road favorites. Interestingly, the Avs have lost two of their four games against the Yotes in 2021-22, and Arizona has won only 15 games so far this term.

Colorado outshot Arizona 43-29 and blew a one-goal lead on Thursday. Pavel Francouz posted 27 saves, falling to 9-3-0 on the season. Darcy Kuemper is expected to patrol the crease Saturday against the Flames, and he’s 27-6-2 with a 2.47 GAA and .919 save percentage in 2021-22.

The Avalanche surrender 2.80 goals per contest (10th in the NHL). On the other side of the ice, they boast the second-highest scoring offense in the league, tallying 3.93 goals per game. The Avs’ shooting percentage of 11.2 is the fourth-best in the NHL. 

Trends:

Calgary:

  • 1-6 in the last seven games against Colorado

Colorado:

  • 16-4 in the last 20 games overall
  • 18-2 in the last 20 games at home

Calgary Flames vs. Colorado Avalanche Pick

Both Calgary and Colorado suffered shocking losses last Thursday. Also, they’ve played extremely well in general over the last few weeks, so picking the side in this matchup feels like a coin flip. Calgary has won 12 of its last 14 games overall, while Colorado has gone 18-4 in its previous 22 outings at any location.

I lean the Avalanche, who have won 18 of their previous 20 games on the home ice. On paper, the Avs are a better offensive team than the Flames, but considering their recent form, the visitors certainly stand a chance of upsetting the odds.

Pick: Take Colorado Avalanche -143                      

The Total:

I’m not surprised by a 6.5-goal line despite the fact that Calgary owns the second-best defense in the league. Both Flames and Avs have a ton of offensive firepower and could easily combine for seven goals.

Nine of the Flames’ last 11 games have seen six or more goals on the scoreboard, including the previous four. And three of those four tilts have produced seven or more goals in total. On the other side, three of the Avalanche’s last five contests have produced at least seven goals in total.

Pick: Go over 6.5 goals at -108