NHL Game Two: Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars Berring Preview
Dallas blew a 3-0 lead in game one to fall 4-3 in overtime to start the best of seven
The Colorado Avalanche (5-1) continues to score goals in the postseason, although it took them almost 25 minutes to solve Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (4-4, 2.15, .915), but when they did it was an avalanche of four straight goals while holding Dallas to none over the last 43:04 of the opening game.
NHL opening lines show the Stars a -130 home favorite for game two with a total of 6.5 (under -125). The puck is scheduled to drop at 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT and can be seen on ESPN. Let’s get into our Stars vs Avalanche betting preview.
Colorado Avalanche vs Dallas Stars 
Day/Time:
Location: American Airlines Center
Streaming: ESPN
Avalanche Send A Strong Message To Top Seed
This wasn’t the way it was supposed to go. The Dallas Stars were supposed to carry out their end of the script after a tough series against the Vegas Golden Knights.
They were to be the team who was game one ready with the Avalanche getting at least a game grace period to get their legs under them after a week off. Instead, the Stars fell from the sky after building a 3-0 period lead. It took Colorado’s top line just over 20 minutes to introduce themselves back into the postseason; from there, they scored twice while adding four assists led by Valeri Nichushkin, who scored his eighth playoff goal to start the comeback.
It was the Dallas Stars who were trying to find their intensity level again. Bettors could feel that their bets were done once the Avalanche tied it up early in the third. It was the first time since 1997 that Colorado climbed back from a three-goal deficit in the playoffs.
The Avalanche have won 3.02 units for bettors, second only to the New York Rangers (+3.75).
Their betting success isn’t a surprise considering Colorado has been 24-9 in the postseason since 2022, factoring in a seven-game loss (3-4) last season to the Seattle Kraken. Colorado may have finished six points behind the Stars in the final NHL hockey standings, but after one game it feels like they are a team ten points better.
Dallas Can’t Solve Corado Again
To end the regular season the Dallas Stars beat Avs goaltender Alexander Georgiev (38-18-4, 3.02) six times on 36 shots, handing the Avalanche a 7-4 loss. To bettors, that win erased four straight Dallas losses to Colorado and six of their last seven.
In that four-game span, the Stars allowed 21 goals with a goal differential of -11. That thinking couldn’t have been further from the truth with Colorado smothering the Stars’ offensive threats, allowing just 22 shots in over 70 minutes. Dallas never got more than nine shots on Jake Oettinger, allowing just seven in the second and third periods.
The regular season scrip was carried into the postseason with the Stars giving up a lead to Colorado for the sixth straight meeting. It was the second time Dallas had blown a 3-0 lead head-to-head this season.
Even in the 7-4 win to end the season, the Stars led 5-2 before Colorado scored twice to pull within a goal. Bettors must know heading into game two that there will never be a time in the rest of the series that Jared Bednar’s team feels beat. The mental advantage will be with Colorado from here on out.
Zig Zag Theory Alive
It was down the middle early, but late public money showed the confidence bettors had in Colorado with 58% of the wagers settling in on the Avs. Game two betting has been the opposite with 58% of the money wagered on the Dallas Stars.
In all fairness, that number is only after less than 1,000 tickets are monitored but early wagering is usually the sharpest. Ticket count is another indication that betting patterns will stay in favor of Dallas with 68% of the tickets on the Stars. Pete DeBoer knows one thing if his team is to advance to the third round they need to win the special teams battle.
It was the ninth straight game Colorado had scored a power-play goal against Dallas, dating back to November of 2022. The Avalanche have scored four power-play goals in their last six chances against Dallas. Our game two hockey playoff wager will be on Dallas, but this will likely be the last time if they don’t cash out for us.
That does it for our Avalanche vs Stars betting preview, all the best to your NHL wagers on Thursday.
For NHL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
