The Colorado Avalanche got off to a rough start in their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup championships. The Game 1 matchup against the Seattle Kraken did not go according to plan, with Seattle showing a “nothing to lose” mentality on the ice that paved the way for an upset win. With bettors and fans alike looking to Thursday night’s NHL slate, let’s take a look at the best Kraken-Avalanche bets, including one Nathan MacKinnon player prop that provides value.
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Best Kraken-Avalanche Game 2 Bets: Nathan MacKinnon Player Prop Stands Out
Nathan MacKinnon Player Prop: O/U 4.5 Shots on Net
MacKinnon remains one of the most lethal goal-scorers in the NHL, ranking fifth in the league with 111 points and ninth in goals (42) during the regular season. OddsShopper Premium is high on the over 4.5 shots (-140 on FanDuel Sportsbook). Bettors looking for all the best NHL bets throughout the Stanley Cup Playoffs can benefit from a free seven-day trial to OddsShopper Premium!
MacKinnon averaged a whopping 5.15 shots on goal throughout the regular season and fired seven shots during the opening night loss to the 3-1 loss in Game 1. The models give the over 4.5 shots a 59% chance of hitting, making for a positive ROI.
After the Game 1 disappointment, Avs coach Jared Bednar admitted he may be considering breaking up MacKinnon and fellow goal-scorer Mikko Rantanen in Game 2.
“Yes, for sure (he’ll consider breaking them up),” he said, per Colorado Hockey Now. “I look at the production, scoring chance opportunities, mainly. These will be the first things I look at. What we’re creating with Nate and Mikko together. Is their line dominant? And then, how’s the second line doing? Both of the top two lines especially have to be productive lines for us, right? They have to both be doing the job defensively and both be doing the job offensively. So I look at basically chances for and against, opportunities for and against, zone-time for and against. And if I don’t like it, then we’ll likely change it.”
Switching up Rantanen and MacKinnon may pave the way for MacKinnon to get even more shots on net with the first line. But either way, the over rates as a solid play in Game 2.
Bettors should check out OddsShopper tools throughout the postseason to get the best prices on NHL bets!
Best Kraken-Avalanche Game 2 Bets: Nathan MacKinnon Over 4.5 Shots (-140 on FanDuel Sportsbook)
