The Stanley Cup playoffs are underway, featuring a compelling Game 1 matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and the Dallas Stars on Saturday. These Central Division rivals are well-acquainted, with Colorado winning two of their three regular-season games, one in overtime. Dallas concluded the season with 106 points, ranking third in the Western Conference, while Colorado closely followed with 102 points. This series boasts significant star power, particularly within the Avalanche team, highlighted by Nathan MacKinnon, who finished second in league scoring and tied for the most assists this season.
Despite starting on the road for Game 1, the Avalanche are favored with a -152 money line, while the Stars are home underdogs at +127. The Avalanche are also 1.5-goal favorites on the puck line, and the game`s over/under is set at 6.5 goals.
Avalanche-Stars Same Game Parlay Picks (+357 Odds)
- Nathan MacKinnon Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-130): 5-Star Pick
- Brock Nelson Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (-146): 5-Star Pick
- Martin Necas Over 1.5 Shots on Goal (-188): 5-Star Pick
Nathan MacKinnon`s exceptional season includes 116 points and 84 assists. He was also the league leader in shots with 320, one of only two players to surpass 300 shots this season. His shots on goal prop is at 3.5, and projections suggest he will exceed this with an expected 4.6 shots in this game. This is highlighted as a 5-star rated pick. MacKinnon has exceeded 3.5 shots in six of his last eight games against strong defensive teams with winning records, averaging nearly 5 shots per game in those contests. Interestingly, the model also suggests taking the Under on MacKinnon`s total points prop of 1.5, also a 5-star pick.
Another Avalanche player favored to exceed his shots on goal prop is Nelson, also a 5-star rated pick. Nelson has surpassed his shots prop in four of his last five road games against winning teams, averaging 3.6 shots in those games. He is projected to have 2.5 shots on goal in this matchup against Dallas.
Necas is the third Avalanche player predicted to go over his shots on goal prop, also a 5-star selection. His line is set at 1.5, and he is projected to achieve 3.0 shots on goal for Saturday`s game. He has been averaging 2.8 shots on goal in his recent road games.
