This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks for January 10: Panthers vs. Avalanche
The Florida Panthers (18-19-4) play the third contest of a four-game road trip at Ball Arena in Denver against the Colorado Avalanche (20-15-3) on Tuesday. This is the first of two regular-season meetings, as the teams will also meet in Sunrise on Feb. 11.
The Panthers kicked off the road trip in fine fashion with a 3-2 win against the Detroit Red Wing on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena. Things didn't go as well in the second leg at Dallas, as the Panthers were clobbered 5-1 by the Stars, while Florida's offense has no answers for Jake Oettinger.
It's been feast or famine for the Panthers' offense lately, netting three or more goals in four of the past six games, but Florida also has two or fewer goals in four of the past eight outings.
The defending champs have been a little sluggish all season, and it's hard to put a finger on one exact reason why this team isn't storming through the schedule like it did last season.
Colorado hasn't been great in 5-on-5 situations, though, and while the Avalanche rank sixth in the NHL with 33.3 shots on goal per game, they have managed just 2.9 goals per game (GPG) to rank 25th. It isn't the fault of the power play, as it ranks 11th overall at 24.2 percent.
The penalty kill has struggled for the Avs too, ranking just 20th at 75.6 percent, while the goaltending has just been so-so. Alexandar Georgiev (16-10-3, 2.67 GAA, .916 save percentage, two shutouts) is getting his first crack at No. 1 duties in the NHL, and he has been sufficient but not great.
The best bet in this rematch of the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals is to take the home side on the money line. Florida was atrocious in Dallas, and they're 1-4 in the past five on the road, 3-9 in the past 12 against the Western Conference, 1-6 in the past seven against the Central Division and 0-5 in the past five against winnings. All of that is strong evidence we'll see a Colorado victory.
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NHL Moneyline Bets for Panthers vs. Avalanche
- Avalanche ML (-132 at BetMGM)
Looking at the total, all of the trends strongly point in favor of an Under result in Denver on Tuesday night.
The Under is 3-0-1 in the past four games on the road for the Panthers, while going 3-0-1 in the previous four skates against teams with a winning overall record, too.
And as mentioned above, the Avalanche have had a surprisingly difficult time lighting the lamp too, with the Under 18-6-2 in the past 26 games overall, while going 9-2 in the past 11 on home ice.
In addition, the Under is 15-5-1 in the past 21 games against the Eastern Conference, while cashing at a 6-1-1 clip in the past eight against losing teams, and 5-0-1 in the past six when Colorado is playing on two days of rest.
The best bet on the board is to go low, as goals should be at a premium Tuesday night in the Mile High City.
NHL Totals Bets for Panthers vs. Avalanche
- Under 6.0 (+100 at BetMGM)
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NHL Players Props for Panthers vs. Avalanche
As far as props are concerned, while a low score is predicted there are still a couple of players worth targeting for offense in the props.
Florida's Matthew Tkachuk knows the Avs well from his days with the Calgary Flames, and he'll undoubtedly be fired up to play in Denver again. He has three goals and six points, including two power-play goals, in the past three games, so if the Panthers are on the board, Tkachuk is likely to be part of the scoring.
- Matthew Tkachuk Anytime Goal Scorer (+155 at BetMGM)
For the home side, Colorado's Evan Rodrigues has been an unlikely offensive hero lately. He has scored two goals with seven points across his past five outings. He returned to the lineup Saturday after a bout with an upper-body injury, and he picked up two assists in the 3-2 OT win over the Edmonton Oilers. He is rolling along, and is a solid value for prop bettors.
- Evan Rodrigues Anytime Goal Scorer (+250 at BetMGM)
