Edmonton Oilers at Colorado Avalanche Betting Preview/Prop Picks

The NHL Western Conference Finals are set to begin on Tuesday night, and it will be the Colorado Avalanche hosting the Edmonton Oilers. This is a dream matchup for NHL fans as this will feature two of the best offensive teams in the league.

Edmonton had some trouble with the Los Angeles Kings in the opening round but advanced with a Game 7 win. The Oilers then dispatched the Calgary Flames in the second round to set up this showdown.

Colorado comes into the Western Conference Finals with an 8-2 record so far in the playoffs, and they have been extremely dominant. The Avalanche entered the playoffs as the Stanley Cup betting favorite, and they remain in that position. 

The Avalanche are the moneyline betting favorites at -187 in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals. 

Oilers Love to Score

The Edmonton Oilers are in the Western Conference Finals on the strength of their offense as they have been nearly unstoppable. Edmonton scored 19 goals in the four straight wins against Calgary, and they will look to use the same strategy against Colorado.

Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid have each picked up 26 points in the playoffs, and each player can take over a game. Evander Kane has scored 12 goals in the postseason, and the Oilers are nearly unstoppable on the power play. 

There will be plenty of pressure on goaltender Mike Smith to play well in this series as well. Smith has been good enough up to this point, but the Avalanche present a massive challenge. 

Avalanche Can Defend

Darcy Kuemper was given the starting goaltending job before the regular season began, and he has been terrific in that role. Kuemper has given up just 2.4 goals per game so far during this playoff run, and his play could be the difference in this series.

The Avalanche are also a terrific offensive team, and they have been putting up big numbers during the playoffs. Colorado has more offensive depth than the Oilers, and that can help decide the outcome of this game. 

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar both have 13 points in the playoffs, and each player is good enough to take over a game. The Avalanche don’t want this game to turn into a shootout, but they are capable of scoring if needed. 

Avalanche Win Series Opener

The Edmonton Oilers have enough offensive talent to beat the Colorado Avalanche, but they just give up too many goals. Edmonton is going to make this a competitive series, but winning in Colorado is never an easy task.

The Avalanche are able to win games in a number of different ways, and that is going to play a key role in this game and in this series. You should expect plenty of offense from each team in this game, but Colorado can also get some defensive stops when needed. 

Winning Game 1 is always a big key to winning a series, and the Avalanche will get the job done at home. Bet the Avalanche -187 as they win the series opener to take a 1-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals.

Prop Picks

Colorado (+155) OVER 4.5 Goals

Colorado is averaging 3.80 goals per game on offense, which ranks No. 4 in the league, while converting on 24.0 percent of its power plays, which ranks No. 7. Scores have gone OVER in five of the Avalanche’s last eight home games versus Edmonton.

With Dunkel predicting a Colorado victory by the score of 5-4, take the Avalanche (+155) to finish OVER their Vegas team total of 4.5 goals against the Oilers.

Mike Smith (-120) UNDER 32.5 Saves

Smith has 381 saves on 411 shots against (.927 save percentage) during the postseason. That percentage dropped in the regular season to .863 (265 saves, 307 shots against) during Edmonton losses.

With Dunkel predicting an Avalanche win while going OVER their Vegas team goal total, take Smith (-120) to finish UNDER 32.5 saves versus Colorado.

Keep up with your latest NHL news coverage and betting pick previews at The Dunkel Index.

All Media on this page by Associated Press.