Colorado Avalanche vs Anaheim Ducks Betting Pick & Prediction 12/20/24

Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Avalanche and Ducks. The game is starting at 10:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. Get ready to place your bets! The Avalanche are favored by -1.5 in this Western conference contest against the Ducks. The game’s over/under currently sits at 6.5 goals.

COLORADO AVALANCHE VS ANAHEIM DUCKS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Anaheim Ducks +1.5

This game will be played at Honda Center at 10:00 ET on Friday, December 20th.

WHY BET THE ANAHEIM DUCKS:

• Even though they are considered 1.5-goal underdogs, our projection points to a 4-2 win for the Ducks.
• We like the Ducks on the moneyline (+189)
• The Ducks are also our pick on the spread at +1.5

Is A Road Victory Likely for the Favored Avalanche?

With a 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche now sit at 19-15-0. Colorado held a 1-0 lead early in the second period, but Nashville responded with five unanswered goals.

The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 7 goals went over that mark. The Avalanche were underdogs on the puck line, and their two goals weren’t enough to cover.

In their 5-2 loss to the Predators, the Avalanche took 30 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Cale Makar opened the scoring with his 5th goal of the season on a power play, while Nathan MacKinnon added his 6th goal late in the third period.

MacKinnon also recorded his 14th assist on Makar’s goal, and Makar picked up his 16th assist on MacKinnon’s goal. The Avalanche had 23 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Avalanche gave up the tying goal at 11:29 in the second period and allowed four more after that, including two empty-netters late in the third. Justus Annunen made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%.

Will Anaheim Find a Way to Win at Home?

Anaheim fell to 12-14-4 after a 4-2 road loss to the Blackhawks. The Ducks were favored on the puck line, but failed to cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 6 goals fell just short of that mark.

The Ducks’ defense struggled early, allowing two goals in the first period and another in the second before finally scoring in the third. Brock McGinn put Anaheim on the board at 9:44 in the third, and Mason McTavish added another with just 4 seconds left in the game.

Anaheim’s offense managed 39 shots on goal, but only found the net twice in their 4-2 loss to Chicago. Brock McGinn scored his second goal of the season, while Mason McTavish added another, also his second, on a power play with just four seconds left in the game.

The Ducks were held scoreless until the 9:44 mark of the third period. Ryan Strome picked up his fourth assist of the season on McTavish’s late goal, and Troy Terry added his fifth assist.

Anaheim’s defense struggled early, giving up the first three goals to Chicago, including two on the power play. Lukas Dostal made 25 saves with a save percentage of 86.2%. The Ducks’ defense recorded 6 takeaways and 15 hits.