The Avalanche and the Flames meet in Calgary! These two teams have had great seasons, but the Avalanche are the better team and the Flames need a win. We continue our NHL odds series with an Avalanche-Flames prediction and pick.
The Avalanche have picked up where they left off last season and are once again one of the best teams in the NHL. They are 39-24-3, but enter this matchup after a loss that broke a six-game winning streak. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are the best duo for the Avalanche, and they should carry this team to this matchup against the Flames. This would be a big win if the Avalanche could pull it off on the road.
The Calgary Flames are playing well this season, and have a 30-23-11 record. Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau are the best two players on this team, and they will make or break their playoff chances. MacKenzie Weegar is also a player to look out for as an X-factor against the Avalanche. The Flames need a complete team effort against the Avalanche to win in this game.
Here are the Avlanche-Flames NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Avalanche-Flames Odds
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+132)
Moneyline: -184
Calgary Flames: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +152
Over: 5.5 (-134)
Under: 5.5 (+110)
How To Watch Avalanche vs Flames
Time: 9:00 pm ET/6:00 pm PT
TV: ESPN+/Altitude Sports/Sportsnet West/Sportsnet Flames
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Why the Avalanche Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Avalanche’s offense has been consistent and is a top-10 unit in the NHL. They score 3.32 goals per game, have a 23.6% power play percentage, and an 11.3% shooting percentage.
MacKinnon has been significant for the Avalanche this year, and has carried the team when needed on offense. He leads the team in total points at 102, in goals at 27, and assists at 75. With Mikko Rantanen being traded away to the Dallas Stars last week, the runway is there for Makato to have an even more prominent role on offense. Makar is second in assists, with 51, and has 75 points, which is also second. He also has 24 goals in the season and is third on the team.
The Avalanche and their offense have one of the best players in the NHL in MacKinnon, but there’s a gap to fill since Rantanen is no longer on the roster. Still, this offense has been outstanding and they should score on the Flames, despite Calgary’s defense being their biggest strength as a team.
The Flames’ offense has been awful, holding back Calgary in multiple ways. It is the worst-scoring offense in the NHL. They score 2.56 goals per game, have a 21.4% power play percentage, and an 8.9% shooting percentage.
The Flames’ offense is based around three different players. Kadri and Huberdeau are tied for the team lead in points at 48, but Huberdeau leads in goal-scoring at 23. Kadri is second in assists with 25, while Huberdeau is third with 24. Weegar is the team leader in assists with 28 on the season.
This offense has struggled, but while the Colorado defense has been solid, they aren’t an elite unit and Calgary should be able to find the net and have success against them, especially with home ice in their favor.
Why the Flames Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Avalanche’s defense has been above average this season, but unimpressive. They allow 2.88 goals per game and have a 90% save percentage.
The defense has used six different goalies this season. Mackenzie Blackwood is the best goalie on the roster with 18 wins, seven losses, and three overtime losses through 28 games. He also allows 2.17 goals per game and has a 91.9% save percentage. With Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen traded away, Scott Wedgewood is next behind Blackwood. He has seven wins and four losses, allowing 2.03 goals per game with a 92.2% save percentage.
The Avalanche have not had to be great on defense because of their offense. Still, this defense gets a solid matchup against a Calgary offense that has struggled to find consistency this season.
The Flames’ defense has had a great season and has carried them this season. They allow 2.88 goals per game and a 90.7% save percentage.
The defense will come down to the duo of Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar at goalie because they both have an even more prominent role this year after appearing in a select amount of games. Wolf has 22 wins, 12 losses, and five overtime losses. He also allows 2.53 goals per game with a 91.5% save percentage. Then, Vladar has eight wins, 11 losses, and six overtime losses. He also allows 2.98 goals per game with an 89.3% save percentage.
The Flames have proven they have a defense that can compete with most teams in the NHL. However, this is one of the best offenses in the NHL, making this the biggest matchup in the game. I think it’s the biggest X-factor in Calgary.
Final Avalanche-Flames Prediction & Pick
The Avalanche are the better team than the Flames, but Calgary should keep this close. The Avalanche are more talented, and thanks to MacKinnon, they are the best players in this game. Colorado wins, but Calgary keeps it close at home, and thanks to their defense, it covers.
Final Avalanche-Flames Prediction & Pick: Calgary Flames +1.5 (-162)
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