The Colorado Avalanche find themselves with their backs on the wall and on the brink of elimination when they travel to Dallas to face the Stars in a pivotal game five. After making a miraculous comeback in game one, they have now lost three straight and in embarrassing fashion. With question marks at goalie, as well as without a productive right winger, the Avs chances of pulling this off looks bleak. This shades value towards the Dallas Stars and their player props as they are in a position to dominate once again.
As for where to wager on NHL prop bets, DraftKings sportsbook has been the front runner for the league as they offer a plethora of markets for us bettors to take advantage of. If you have not signed up yet with DraftKings sportsbook, you can receive $200 instantly in bonus bets for simply creating an account as well as receive a free NBA SGP for every day of the NBA Playoffs. Be sure to shop around between multiple sportsbooks as player prop odds can drastically vary between mobile apps as it is a very volatile market.
A brunt of the Dallas Stars dominance can be pointed towards their defense, mainly towards their stud goaltender in Jake Oettinger who has been a brick wall since game two. Oettinger ranks top five in Save Percentage, Goals Against per Game, and Expected Goals Against for active goalies still in the playoffs while holding the Avs to just one goal each in both games three and four. His high level of play has propelled the Stars to a 3-1 lead with a berth to the Western Conference Finals in their sights.
Better yet for Oettinger’s chances of cashing this prop, he faces off against an Avs offense that will sorely miss the production of Valeri Nichushkin who has been suspended for violating the team’s wellness program. Nichushkin played a pivotal role in the Avs playoff success as he was first in Total Goals and top-5 in Team Playoff Points, now leaving a glaring hole at the depth of the right wing position.
It’s tough to project how the Avs will approach his absence in this playoff matchup, whether it will be extended minutes from their starters or going deeper into their bench. One thing is for certain, their offensive explosiveness is poised to regress a little over the full course of the game which plays right into the Stars hands. Productive Defenseman Devon Toews is also dealing with an injury, potentially leaving a hole at the top of the ice as well.
Bet on Jake Oettinger Props at DraftKings
Not only has the Stars defensive level of play elevated, but their offense has dominated as well to the point the team as a whole is considered one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Star Center Wyatt Johnston has been instrumental with their higher level of play, finding the back of the net for a team leading seven times this postseason while clocking in 11 total Points as well.
Johnston rolls into game five with some momentum as he finished game four with a Short Handed Goal, a Power Play Goal, and assisted on another in a 5-1 win against the Avs. While his Shots on Goal prop is inviting, the Avs slower pace of play with a lack of depth may limit the opportunities the Stars offense receives on the other end.
I will instead back one of the hotter offenses in the league to continue to find success against the struggling Avs goaltending, especially if Alexandar Georgiev gets the nod. Georgiev ranks second to last in Save Percentage for current goalies still in the NHL Playoffs. By betting on the Stars -1.5 as noted in our game breakdown, someone needs to score and Wyatt Johnston is well positioned to continue to dominate a poor Avs defense.
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