One of the most interesting NHL games scheduled for Thursday, March 9, will be played in Denver, CO, and here you can take a look at the best Kings vs. Avalanche betting pick and odds.

Los Angeles is looking for the fifth consecutive victory when they visit Colorado at Ball Arena. The Avalanche are -160 moneyline favorites on BetOnline Sportsbook, while the total is set at 6 goals. These conference rivals will face for the second time this year; the Kings won 5-4 after penalties in Colorado.

Kings concluded the home stand with a win

The Los Angeles Kings (37-20-7-1, 35-30 ATS) closed a five-game road trip with a victory over the Winnipeg Jets and then swept a three-game homestay. The Kings didn’t allow more than two goals during their home stand as they defeated the Canadiens, Blues, and Capitals. Los Angeles now has six straight home wins and improved to 2nd place in the Western Conference with 82 points, the same as the Vegas Golden Knights, who do have a game in hand.

The Kings scored a pair of goals in the third period to beat the Washington Capitals 4-2. It was a fully deserved victory for Los Angeles, who had 41 shots opposite Washington’s 22. Viktor Arvidsson and Adrian Kempe each registered a couple of points to lead their team. Los Angeles’ top point producer this year is Kevin Fiala with 67 (G 22, A 45). Anze Kopitar has 58 (G 25, A 33) and Adrian Kempe contributes 49 points (G 30, A 19).

Pheonix Copley (20-4-2) is a probable goaltender against the Avalanche on Thursday. The 31-year-old rookie is surrendering 2.76 goals per game this season with a .899 SV% and one shutout.

LW Trevor Moore has landed on the injured reserve list due to an upper-body injury, and a timetable for his return has yet to be established.

Avalanche bounced back against the Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche (35-21-3-3, 32-30 ATS) snapped a three-game losing skid with one of their best performances this season. The Avalanche managed to keep their net intact for the fifth time this year as they beat the San Jose Sharks 6-0 at home. The reigning champions remained in 7th place in the Western Conference with 76 points, only six behind the leaders Vegas Golden Knights and Los Angeles Kings.  

The game against San Jose was pretty much decided after the opening period in which the Avs scored three goals and then added two more early in the second frame. The final 20 minutes produced no goals, but Colorado was already 6-0 up. The hosts attempted 43 shots opposite the Sharks’ 13; Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin dominated with four points apiece, while Alexandar Georgiyev got his fourth shutout of the year. Nathan MacKinnon leads the Avalanche in points this season with 76 points, followed by Mikko Rantanen with 73 (G 42, A 31).

Alexandar Georgiyev is expected to take his place in the cage against the Kings on Thursday. The 27-year-old is allowing 2.60 goals per contest this year along with a .920 SV% and four shutouts.

LW Darren Helm (lower body), D Erik Johnson (ankle), LW Gabriel Landeskog (lower body), and G Pavel Francouz (lower body) are out indefinitely.

Trends:

Los Angeles:

  • 1-9 in the last ten games against Colorado
  • 1-6 in the last seven games when playing on the road against Colorado

Colorado:

  • 7-3 in the last ten games
  • 8-2 in the last ten games against the Pacific Division rivals

Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche Pick

Although the Kings are on a four-game winning streak, they did lose five of the previous eight on the road. Colorado has been a better rival in recent H2H encounters, which is one of the reasons I am backing the hosts here. Another reason is a stronger defense; the Avalanche have a top 10 D in the NHL that allows 2.76 goals per game opposite Los Angeles’ 3.32 goals per contest. The Kings are slightly better offensively (3.32 gpg vs. 3.18 gpg), but the Avs proved in their latest game that they still have one of the most exciting offenses in the league.

Pick: Take the Avalanche to win (-160)

The Total

The Kings did score 3+ goals in each of their previous four games, but I don’t think it’s going to be that easy against the Avs and Alexandar Georgiyev in Denver. Defensively, Los Angeles played well recently; the Kings allowed only two goals in each of their last three games. That’s why I don’t expect to see a classic shootout here. Under is 4-1 in the Avalanche’s last five home games, while Under is 4-0 in Colorado’s previous four vs. Pacific Division opponents.

Pick: Go Under 6 goals (-110)