Winnipeg Jets vs. Colorado Avalanche Prediction, Preview, and Odds

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Two of the top three teams in the Central Division go head-to-head when the Colorado Avalanche host the Winnipeg Jets on Thursday at 9:00 p.m. EST in Ball Arena. Winnipeg is 3rd in the division with 30 points in 24 games while Colorado is at the top with 34 points in 25 games. Winnipeg is looking to win their third in a row and Colorado is 6-2-2 in their last ten. Colorado is favored at a -150 money line while the total is set at six goals.

Winter is Good For Winnipeg

Winnipeg beat the Carolina Hurricanes in their most recent contest by a score of 2-1. Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers had identical stats with a goal and an assist each along with a team-high four shots apiece. Mark Scheifele provided two assists and Laurent Brossoit had a tremendous performance, stopping 42 of 43 shots to earn the win.

The Jets are currently 16th in the league in scoring and in shots, averaging 3.21 goals and earning 30.8 shots per game. However, their power play and face-off percentage needs to be better, as they are converting on only 19.0% of their opportunities with a man advantage and 46.9% in the face-off circle. While it is still early in the season, the production on offense has been better than last year, and there is still room to grow for this team. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifle are in a fight for for the team lead in points so far this season with 26 and 27 respectively. Connor has a team-high 15 goals while Mark Scheifele leads the squad with 19 assists. Unfortunately, Adam Lowry leads the forwards in penalty minutes with 18 despite having the one of the best +/- with a +8. Vladislav Namestnikov has a team-best +10 on the year while Scheifle has the most ice time among offensive skaters with an average of 21:02 per game. Connor also has the most shots on the squad with 95. If the depth pieces can establish themselves as the season goes along, Winnipeg could be a sneaky team to beat in the final months of the season.

Defensively, the Jets are led by the goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. In his 18 starts on the year, he has four 10 wins and four regulation losses with a 2.49 GAA and an 91.2% save percentage. Everyone knows he can do much better, which makes this team that much more intimidating. The Jets are ranked 5th in shots against, averaging only 28.5 shots surrendered per game. Their penalty kill is 22nd in the NHL with an 75% kill rate and they are giving up 2.71 goals per contest, good for 8th in the league. Josh Morrissey has logged the most ice time on average with 24:27, and he has been productive when on it. He leads not only defenders, but almost everyone else on the squad with 16 assists including seven power play points. Brenden Dillon has 36 minutes already in the box while also having the highest +/- ratio among defenders with a +9. Morrissey also has the most shots among defenders with 57. While Namestnikov, Rasmus Kupari, and Ville Heinola are the only players listed on the injury report for the Jets, head coach Bowness recently returned the team after he had to take a leave of absence to tend to his ailing wife.

Avalanche Pouring Down

Colorado held off a comeback against the Anaheim Ducks, winning by a score of 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon had three points on the day with a goal and two assists while Jonathan Drouin chipped in a pair of assists. Logan O'Connor had a goal and was second on the team in shots with four. Alexander Georgiev stopped 31 of 33 shots in the victory.

Colorado went through the injury bug last year, and they are hoping they can revitalize their championship run from a couple years ago. They are currently 5th in goals per game with 3.56 and 13th in shots per contest with 31.8. Unfortunately, they are 25th in the face-off circle with a 47.6% win rate and 17th with a 19.6% success rate on the power play. As expected, MacKinnon leads the team in shots with 116 and has the most assists among forwards with 25. Mikko Rantanen has a team-high 12 goals on the year while MacKinnon has a +9. Ross Colton has the most penalty minutes on the squad with 33 and Rantanen has logged an average ice time of 22:10, most among offensive skaters. Valeri Nichushkin has five power play goals while MacKinnon has ten power play assists.

The Avalanche have also been able to stop the opposing offenses from shooting the puck, as they rank 9th in the NHL with 29.3 shots against per game. They are 7th on the penalty kill with an 85.0% win rate, but they are 11th in goals against per contest at 2.88. Alexandar Georgiev is the clear starter with 21 starts out of 27 games. So far, he has produced a 2.86 GAA and an 90.2% save percentage. Interestingly, his backup Ivan Prosvetov is doing better in his limited playing time with a 2.45 GAA and a 91.9% save percentage. Cale Makar has continued to solidify himself as one of the best two-way defenders in the game, and nothing has changed this year. He leads the team with 34 points and 27 assists while also leading in +/- (+18) and time on the ice (24:27) Bowen Byram has the most penalty minutes among defenders with 32 and Makar is the only blue-liner to score a power play goal on the year. He has a team-high ten power play assists and the most shots among defenders with 57. Colorado has nine players listed on the injury report, including key pieces such as Makar and Nichushkin. Byram, Andrew Cogliano, and Samuel Girard are also some key pieces on the injury list. While the former three are only listed as questionable, Girard is out indefinitely.

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Full-Game Side Bet

Rating:

Colorado has taken the last two games when these two teams have met, and I believe history will repeat itself. Colorado is 9-2-0 at home this season and despite Winnipeg winning their last two contests, they lost the previous three before that. Colorado has more depth on both sides of the puck and players that can create chances much easier than anyone on Winnipeg's roster. Colorado has managed to cover the spread in more than half of their games on the year, but I feel safer taking the money line in this case.

Prediction: Colorado Avalanche Money Line (-150)

Full-Game Total Pick

Rating:

In their last five meetings against each other, these two teams have either pushed the total or gone under in four of those games. Winnipeg has hit the under in eight of their last ten contests and Colorado has gotten better on defense this year. The injuries for both teams might limit scoring opportunities for either side and while an always potent offense, Colorado has scored three or less in their last four matches. Winnipeg has totaled five or under in their last seven games played. Furthermore, in their last five meetings against each other, the loser has not put up more than two goals in regulation.

Prediction: Under 6

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