Colorado Avalanche vs. New Jersey Devils Predictions, Picks and NHL Preview – February 14, 2017

Colorado Avalanche vs. New Jersey Devils Betting Preview

Where: Prudential Center – Newark, NJ

When: Tuesday, February 14, 2017 – 7:00 PM ET

Line: Colorado Avalanche (+165) vs. New Jersey Devils (-195); total: 5.5 – view all NHL lines

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Betting on the Colorado Avalanche (15-36-2, 32 points)

Moneyline: +165

Welp, the Avalanche are still on pace to have their worst record in 25 years. After teasing fans with a surprisingly competitive 9-9 start, they fell back to what was mostly projected, as they lost 27 of their next 34 games, which includes four separate five-plus game losing streaks.

Colorado also seems to make sure that when they lose, they lose in convincing fashion. Six of the last seven teams that defeated them were able to score four or more goals, and they are only 1-for-17 in power plays during that span.

Not much can be expected from a team that is bottoming almost every team stat available. They can’t give quality offense to save their lives – last in goals (107) and points (32) and 29th in power play goals (24) – and their defense is just as bad, if not worse. Along with being 28th in goals against (181), they are also just 25th in penalty killing percentage (78.1), and dead-last in save percentage (89.4).

Goalie Calvin Pickard is simply getting bamboozled as of late. In his last three, he has allowed 11 goals and only posts an 87.9 save percentage in that stretch (80-for-91). His two backups – Semyon Varlamov and Spencer Martin – aren’t any better too, as both are also combining to have a below-90 SP.

Betting on the New Jersey Devils (23-22-10, 56 points)

Moneyline: -195

The Devils tallied a 4-1 loss against the Sharks Sunday night after a subpar performance. It halted the momentum of the back-to-back wins they had coming in and their playoff chances took another hit.

There’s just a lot inconsistency in the team, and no one (not even themselves, probably) can tell which type of New Jersey Devils squad is going to show up in any given night. Outside of a couple of three-game win streaks and three losing streaks of for or more games, there are zero key trends on how they win or lose. There are a couple of back-to-back wins and losses and a whole bunch of alternating Ws and Ls.

The same goes on defense, as no team stat is worth-mentioning, including goals against (157), penalty kill percentage (81.9), power play goals against (32) and save percentage (91.4), which are all ranked between 13th to 17th in the league.

Although they have six different guys that have 10 or more goals and five who have 30 or more points, including Adam Henrique (15 goals and 16 assists), and facilitating veterans Mike Cammalleri and Travis Zajac (10 goals and 20 assists apiece), the Devils don’t pose any threat offensively. They are just 28th in goals and 24th in points despite all of those decent numbers.

Writer’s Prediction

The Devils take it, 3-0.

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