Sunday, March 16: Preview of Stars vs Avalanche including Odds, Prediction, and Starting Goalies

• The Colorado Avalanche (40-24-3) host the Dallas Stars (42-21-2) Sunday afternoon at Ball Arena in a meeting of two teams on a playoff collision course.

• Colorado has won seven of its last eight games and is a 1.5-goal favorite at home.

• I got all the things you need to know for this Western Conference battle between the Stars and Avalanche, including the top odds, a look at the starting goalies and a prediction.

The Dallas Stars (42-21-2; 30-35 ATS) take on the Colorado Avalanche (40-24-3; 30-37 ATS) in a Sunday afternoon tilt at Ball Arena.

If the season ended today, these two teams would meet in the first round of the NHL playoffs as the two-seed and three-seed from the Central Division. Dallas beat the Avs in the conference semifinals last season.

Playoff hockey is getting closer, isn’t it great? I have a prediction for Stars vs Avalanche and best odds to consider.

Stars vs Avalanche Starting Goalies

Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado

The Avalanche used four different goalies in their first 30 games and then made a big deal for Blackwood from the San Jose Sharks. He’s 18-7-3 since coming over to the Avalanche with a 2.17-goals against average, which is elite.

Blackwood has won last four starts and only allowed 10 goals in that span. He faced the Stars twice when with San Jose and lost both times.

Jake Oettinger, Dallas

Oettinger was one of the Team USA goalies at the 4 Nations Face Off. The 26-year-old has 30 wins between the pipes this season and a 2.52 goals against average.

Lately though, he’s been roughed up, allowing nine goals in his last two starts with a save percentage around .810 in those two games. He’s faced Colorado eight previous times in his career and is 5-3 with a 3.05 GAA in the regular season. In the playoffs last year, he allowed 13 goals in the six-game series.

Stars vs Avalanche Prediction

• Colorado ML -135 at Caesars

• Over 6.0 -120 at Caesars

These are two teams that expect to play late into the playoffs. The Stars actually have the second most points in the Western Conference, but are stuck in the two spot behind the rampaging Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg downed the Stars 4-1 Friday night.

Colorado has been the hottest team in the NHL. They’ve earned a point in eight straight games and won seven of those eight. The Avalanche have incredible balance with star forward Nathan MacKinnon up front (102 points) and one of the game’s best defensemen in Cale Makar. They needed a goalie and went out and got one.

Dallas has three players with over 60 points, and young center Wyatt Johnston is having a breakout season with 24 goals. He’s only 21. The Stars will get a boost from the return of Roope Hintz, who has been out the past week.

I can’t quite see the Avalanche winning by two goals, but I like Colorado to stay hot at home and win by a goal. The goalies are too good to allow many good looks, so I am comfortable with the under, even without the half goal.

Stars vs Avalanche Odds

Odds as of March 15 at DraftKings Sportsbook. I know it’s hockey season, but lock in on March Madness with our best DraftKings Sportsbook offers.

The Avalanche are 1.5-goal favorites across the board. Colorado is 7-2-0-1 in their last 10 games against the spread and 30-37 over/under. Two of Colorado’s last three games have hit the under.

Dallas is 5-2 in its last seven games against the spread and 31-32-4 over/under. Three of its last four games have hit the under.

The over/under is 5.5 at most places, except for Caesars, where it’s six.

I found the best moneyline bet on Dallas at FanDuel at +116 and for Colorado at DraftKings at -130.

Colorado won 6-4 back in January. The Stars won 5-3 when they met in November.

The Sunday matchup between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche is shaping up to be an exciting game with both teams fighting for playoff positioning in the competitive Western Conference. The Stars currently sit in fourth place in the Central Division with 64 points, while the Avalanche are in second place in the same division with 70 points.

The odds for this game are close, with the Avalanche being slight favorites at -120 and the Stars at +110. Both teams have been playing well recently, with the Avalanche winning seven of their last ten games and the Stars winning six of their last ten.

In terms of starting goalies, it is expected that Philipp Grubauer will be in net for the Avalanche. Grubauer has been solid this season with a 23-8-1 record, a .917 save percentage, and a 2.00 goals against average. For the Stars, it is likely that Anton Khudobin will get the start. Khudobin has also been playing well with a 12-8-2 record, a .914 save percentage, and a 2.47 goals against average.

In terms of prediction, this game could go either way as both teams are evenly matched. The Avalanche have a slight edge in terms of overall talent and home ice advantage, but the Stars have been playing well recently and could pull off an upset. It will likely come down to which team can capitalize on their scoring chances and which goalie can make the big saves when needed.

Overall, fans can expect a fast-paced and competitive game between two talented teams on Sunday. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out and who comes out on top in this important matchup.