Can the Colorado Avalanche Continue to Dominate Inside of the Ball Arena?

The Philadelphia Flyers will travel to the Ball Arena on Friday night to take on the Colorado Avalanche in an Eastern Conference vs. Western Conference matchup. This will be the second and final game against one another as they played back on December 6 when Colorado won 7-5 on the road. The Flyers are seventh in the Metropolitan Division (20-31-11, 51 points), while the Avalanche are far ahead of the rest of the pack in the Central Division (44-13-5, 93 points). 

This game has two teams at completely different stages in their process as the Flyers are trying to rebuild while the Avalanche are just trying to be healthy. Let’s look at these teams to determine if there will be an upset or not. 

The Colorado Avalanche’s Defense Could be a Major Difference Here

The Flyers are struggling on the offensive side of things as they are scoring 2.52 goals on 30.6 shot attempts this season. Right-winger Cam Atkinson has been leading the team in points and goals as he has recorded 47 points (23 goals, 24 assists) while adding four points in his previous five games. They need to play better on the defensive side of things as Philadelphia is allowing 3.39 goals on 33.9 shots against them so far. Goaltender Carter Hart has struggled a bit as he has a 13-19-7 record with a .911 save percentage and 2.94 goals allowed per game. 

Center Nazem Kadri has been one of the best players in the entire sport as he is eighth in the NHL in assists while also being tied for 11th in hockey in points as he has posted 74 points (23 goals, 51 assists) with just two points in his last five games. Colorado has been dominant on the offensive side of the ice as they are averaging 3.84 goals on 35 shots so far. The Avalanche has one of the best goalies in the league as he is 29-8-2 with 2.41 goals allowed per game and a .923 save percentage. They are giving up 2.77 goals on 31.5 shot attempts thus far as a team. 

Philadelphia Flyers at Colorado Avalanche Betting Prediction

The Colorado Avalanche are 24-3-3 inside of Ball Arena and should be able to dominate an inferior team like the Philadelphia Flyers. The Avalanche are a lot better on both sides of the ice and should show this during the three periods. The defenses as of late are showing a bit of a divide as Philadelphia is allowing three goals per game in their previous five while Colorado is giving up one goal per game in their last three games. The Flyers are 30-32 against the spread this season, while the Avalanche are 31-31 against the spread so far. All in all, go with the Colorado Avalanche to cover the puck line in this meeting.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.