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With both teams trying to recover from shaky starts to the season, the Colorado Avalanche take on the Nashville Predators. With three straight victories, Colorado, which has an 18-11-2 record, has climbed to fourth place in the Central Division.
Despite having a 14-13-4 record, Nashville has won two straight games to gain ground in the division. The upcoming game should be a good one because both clubs want to do better in their division and the Western Conference.
Avalanche vs Predators Betting Odds
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Avalanche vs Predators Match Details
Fixture: Colorado at Nashville Predators
Date and Time: Friday, December 23 at 8:00 PM ET
Venue: BridgeStone Arena, Nashville, TN
Avalanche vs Predators Key Stats
With only 2.90 goals scored per game, Colorado is having a fantastic season but is hopeful that the offense can improve. Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen have combined for 31 goals and 31 assists, and defensemen Cale Makar and Devon Toews have added nine goals and 38 assists from the point, but the rest of the offense has struggled.
The defense has improved, giving up just 2.61 goals per game, with just two goals allowed in the last three games, despite the offense's struggles. Two excellent defensive combinations for the Avalanche are Makar and Toews, who have 4.8 defensive point shares and 96 blocked shots combined, and Erik Johnson and Josh Manson, who have 3.2 defensive point shares.
With only 2.52 goals scored per game, Nashville's offense has been struggling this season. Roman Josi has added seven goals and 18 assists, and Filip Forsberg, Matt Duchene, and Mikael Granlund have combined for 20 goals and 48 assists, but the rest of the offense has struggled.
Nashville's attack has fallen short, but the defense has also been a problem, giving up 3.03 goals per game. Ryan McDonagh, Mattias Ekholm, and Roman Josi have a combined defensive point share of 5.0; however, the rest of the team has failed, allowing opponents to find open chances on goal at will.
Avalanche vs Predators Betting Prediction
With Cale Makar, Devon Toews, and the rest of the defense causing turnovers in the defensive zone and limiting shots on goal, Colorado, who only allows 2.61 goals per game, should also be able to contain Nashville's offense.
This will give goaltender Alexandar Georgiev plenty of opportunities to make crucial saves. With a great effort on the road, Colorado ought to prevail in the match.
Pick: Colorado (-120)
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