MINNESOTA vs COLORADO
When: 2/2/2021 8:30 PM
Where:

TV: 8:30 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: COLORADO , MINNESOTA

Oddsmakers currently have the MINNESOTA listed as 155-moneyline favorites versus the COLORADO, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The Colorado Avalanche felt they were good enough to win the Stanley Cup in the pandemic bubble last season but injuries derailed their run to the title.

The championship optimism only grew at the start of this year, but once again injuries are the bigger storyline for Colorado ahead of its Tuesday night home game against the Minnesota Wild in the third of four straight games between the teams.

In the first two games, back-to-back affairs over the weekend in Saint Paul, Minn., the Avalanche earned three out of a possible four points, but it proved costly. Colorado lost two key players in consecutive games, first with defenseman Erik Johnson (upper body) getting hurt in Saturday’s win, and then a potentially bigger loss when Nathan MacKinnon left Sunday’s game with a lower-body injury.

MacKinnon played the first two periods of the overtime loss but didn’t come out of the locker room for the third. The Avalanche didn’t update his status after the game.

If MacKinnon, who had two assists on Sunday, doesn’t play in Denver on Tuesday it would mean six players from the opening-night roster are sidelined. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (lower left leg) and Devon Toews (foot) were both hurt against San Jose on Thursday while Matt Calvert (upper body) and goaltender Pavel Francouz (lower body) have missed multiple games.

Only Calvert is out “indefinitely,” with the others listed as day-to-day, but the succession of setbacks feels all-too familiar for the Avalanche. Yet, Colorado captain Gabe Landeskog said the team isn’t feeling sorry for itself.

“We’re a very capable team and we’re very competitive in there,” he said after Sunday’s 4-3 loss. “You got to understand, the guys in the locker room, we don’t sit around the room looking around the room who’s missing, who’s not playing. We’re just going out there and try to do our jobs and win a hockey game. That’s what we’re going to continue to do.”

The Wild are dealing with injuries as well as the suspension of forward Kevin Fiala, who on Tuesday will serve the last of a three-game penalty handed down by the league.

Minnesota defenseman Matt Dumba is on injured reserve after suffering a lower-body injury in Saturday’s 5-1 loss to the Avalanche. Also, Marcus Johansson left Saturday’s game with an undisclosed injury and Marcus Foligno was placed on the NHL COVID-19 protocol Sunday.

The Wild welcomed back goaltender Cam Talbot, who responded with big saves Sunday to get his team to overtime. Talbot stopped 22 shots, a few that prevented Colorado from taking a multi-goal lead.

“Coming back after nine days off, no practices, and just jumping in against an offense like that is never easy,” Talbot said after the game. “You can’t give that team any more goals than they need because they can pretty much score at will out there.

“Any time you can come up with a big save, you keep the game within reach early, that’s all I was trying to do, focus on that and make that next save to settle myself down and gain some confidence moving forward throughout the game.”

Talbot should be back in net Tuesday for the third straight game between the teams. The Avalanche will likely have No. 1 netminder Philipp Grubauer back in the crease after Hunter Miska played Sunday. Grubauer had 19 saves in Saturday’s win.

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COLORADO vs TEXAS
When: 12/29/2020 9:00 PM
Where:

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: -9.5
PREDICTION: TEXAS , COLORADO

Oddsmakers currently have the TEXAS listed as -9.5 point favorites versus the COLORADO, while the game’s total is sitting at 63.5.

Upstart Colorado and No. 20 Texas, two teams with different expectations entering the 2020 season, will look to end the COVID-19-influenced campaign in style when they square off in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 29 in San Antonio.

The Longhorns will play in the Alamo Bowl for the fifth time and second straight year, while Colorado will appear in the postseason game for the third time and first since losing to Oklahoma State in 2016.

Texas (6-3, 5-3 in Big 12 play) came into the season with an experienced and talented team that was expected to challenge for the Big 12 Conference title. But the Longhorns were derailed by early-season losses to TCU and Oklahoma and dropped a crucial game to Iowa State on the day after Thanksgiving that kept them out of the Big 12 championship game.

Still, Texas won four of its last five contests, including a 69-31 road win over Kansas State on Dec. 5 in its most recent outing. That stretch also included a road win over then-No. 6 Oklahoma State, which marked Texas’ first road victory over a top-10 opponent since 2010.

The Longhorns were supposed to play a rescheduled game at Kansas on Dec. 12 but the game was canceled because of positive COVID tests in the Texas program.

“Obviously, for us, it’s a return trip, and I know our kids will be excited, regardless of the circumstances that 2020 has thrown everyone’s way,” Texas coach Tom Herman said. “We are honored and proud to be a part of it, and I know we will definitely have our hands full.”

The Alamo Bowl marks the 57th all-time bowl appearance for the Longhorns, the second-most in the country behind only Alabama. It is the fourth-straight year Texas has appeared in a bowl game under Herman, with the Longhorns winning each of the first three.

“It will be bittersweet, but I’m going to savor every last practice, every last minute I have with this great group of seniors,” Herman said. “Most of them came in when we took this program over and have been great models of leadership for our team and our university.”

The Buffaloes were the surprise team of the Pac-12 this season and made the most out of their limited opportunities, finishing the regular season with a 4-1 mark, and 3-1 in league play for a second-place finish in the South Division.

With a roster that sports only a handful of seniors and a long list of underclassmen who earned valuable playing time, the bowl bid serves as another validation of what coach Karl Dorrell, who was not hired until February, is building in Boulder.

“We feel like our program’s on the rise,” Dorrell said. “We’re trying to get better week after week and keep improving the depth of our team with our freshmen and sophomores that are playing. This has really been an extra bonus year for us to build a foundation in our program. It was just another step.”

The Buffaloes head to San Antonio after losing their final game of the regular season 38-21 at home to Utah on Dec. 12. Colorado was set to play Oregon on Dec. 19 but that game was cancelled after the Ducks were elevated into the league’s championship after COVID issues kept Washington from playing in the title game.

Once conference foes in the Big 12, Texas and Colorado will face off for the 19th time in school history and for the first time since 2009. The Longhorns will be the first ranked opponent the Buffaloes will play in 2020.

“We’re looking forward to extending the fruits of our labor from what we’ve done so far this year,” Dorrell said. “To be able to play this game and celebrate the game of football and particularly postseason — it’s fun to be a part of that. We’re very, very thankful for the opportunity to play.”

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ARIZONA vs COLORADO
GAME: Arizona Diamondbacks (28-26) at Colorado Rockies (25-27)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 28 – 8:40 PM EST
WHERE: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, FS Arizona, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
LINE: -120
PREDICTION: Rockies 8, Diamondbacks 5

Oddsmakers currently have the COLORADO listed as -120 point favorites versus the ARIZONA, while the game’s total is sitting at 12.5.

The Colorado Rockies are making a habit of dramatic finishes while slowly climbing back into the National League West race. The Rockies have recorded three walk-off wins in their last four games and look to carry that momentum into Tuesday when they continue their four-game series against the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks.

Nolan Arenado delivered two hits and two RBIs and Raimel Tapia singled in the winning run in the 11th inning in Monday’s 4-3 victory as the Rockies improved to 3-1 on their season-long 10-game homestand. Tapia extended his hitting streak to six games and has settled in as the team’s regular leadoff hitter in place of Charlie Blackmon, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Monday with a right calf injury but hopes to return when first available. Arizona went 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position after matching a franchise mark for a three-game series by scoring 34 runs during a weekend sweep of the San Francisco Giants. Nick Ahmed belted a solo homer in Monday’s loss and is 12-for-27 over his last seven games.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Diamondbacks RH Merrill Kelly (4-5, 4.75 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (3-4, 6.21)

Kelly turned in the shortest outing of his career against San Diego last Wednesday, allowing four runs in 1 2/3 innings. “I just need to forget about it,” Kelly told reporters. “It’s over with. There’s nothing I can do now. I can’t go back and make pitches. It’s over and done with. Just try to focus on the next start.” The 30-year-old rookie owns a 40-to-22 strikeout-to-walk ratio over his first 10 starts covering 53 innings.

Senzatela is also looking to bounce back after allowing eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings against Pittsburgh last Thursday. The 24-year-old native of Venezuela owns a 5.47 ERA in five road starts this season compared to a 7.27 mark in three outings at Coors Field. Senzatela is 1-4 with a 6.14 ERA in eight career games (four starts) versus Arizona – including 1-3 with a 4.71 mark in four games (three starts) last season.

WALK-OFFS

1. Arenado is 16-for-31 with four homers and 11 RBIs during his seven-game hitting streak.

2. The Diamondbacks placed Luke Weaver (forearm) on the 10-day injured list with and recalled fellow RHP Jimmie Sherfy from Triple-A Reno.

3. Colorado recalled OF Yonathan Daza from Triple-A Albuquerque to replace Blackmon.

PREDICTION: Rockies 8, Diamondbacks 5

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COLORADO vs PITTSBURGH
GAME: Colorado Rockies (21-25) at Pittsburgh Pirates (24-21)
DATE/TIME: Wednesday, May 22 – 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
LINE: 110
PREDICTION: Pirates 3, Rockies 2

Oddsmakers currently have the PITTSBURGH listed as 110 point favorites versus the COLORADO, while the game’s total is sitting at 8.5.

Colorado center fielder Charlie Blackmon tries to continue being a catalyst in the lead-off spot when the Rockies visit the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday in the second contest of their three-game series. Blackmon is batting .343 in May after recording his sixth three-hit game of the season – highlighted by a two-run triple – in a 5-0 victory Tuesday that snapped Colorado’s four-game losing streak.

The Rockies are also receiving plenty of offense from third baseman Nolan Arenado and shortstop Trevor Story, who became the first Colorado tandem in 15 years to record at least 10 home runs, 30 RBIs and 30 runs scored in the first 45 games of a season. Story belted his 11th home run Tuesday while Arenado went 2-for-5, raising his club-high batting average to .308. The Rockies had lost 12 of their previous 17 games at PNC Park before cooling off Pittsburgh, which came home with a head of steam after an 7-4 road trip. Colorado’s Jon Gray takes the ball Wednesday after allowing 18 runs in his last four starts over 21 innings and opposes Montana DuRapau, who makes his second appearance as an opener after pitching well in that role Saturday.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (3-4, 4.73 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Montana DuRapau (0-0, 1.35)

Gray yielded five runs, five hits and three walks with eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of a 5-4 loss at Philadelphia on Friday. The 27-year-old Oklahoman, who was the third overall pick in the 2013 draft, struck out 25 in his last three starts but permitted six of his 10 home runs allowed in the past four outings. Gray is 0-1 with a 9.95 ERA in three career turns against Pittsburgh.

DuRapau allowed one hit and one walk with four strikeouts over the first two innings of the Pirates’ 7-2 victory at San Diego on Saturday after his first four career appearances came in relief this month. The 27-year-old Floridian plays the opener’s role again after Trevor Williams sustained a side strain while swinging a bat against San Diego on Thursday and was placed on the injured list. Pittsburgh was off Monday and used two relievers Tuesday with Chris Stratton pitching three innings and Michael Feliz one.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pirates RF Gregory Polanco (finger) did not play Tuesday while C Francisco Cervelli left in the sixth inning (chest).

2. Colorado has outscored opponents 25-24 while starting its eight-game road trip 2-4.

3. Pittsburgh 1B Josh Bell, the reigning National League Player of the Week, went 0-for-4 on Tuesday after going 15-for-31 with five home runs and 15 RBIs in his previous eight games.

PREDICTION: Pirates 3, Rockies 2

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COLORADO vs PITTSBURGH
GAME: Colorado Rockies (20-25) at Pittsburgh Pirates (24-20)
DATE/TIME: Tuesday, May 21 – 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: PNC Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Colorado), AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
LINE: 110
PREDICTION: Pirates 3, Rockies 2

Oddsmakers currently have the PITTSBURGH listed as 110 point favorites versus the COLORADO, while the game’s total is sitting at 7.5.

There’s nothing like a 7-4 road trip to make a baseball team and its manager happy so the Pittsburgh Pirates are in good spirits as they open a six-game homestand with three against the slumping Colorado Rockies starting Tuesday. Pittsburgh split the first eight games of the trek before winning the final three in San Diego, and turns its attention to improving its 9-9 record at PNC Park.

“I’m proud of the effort,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told reporters. “I’m proud of the energy, and the offense is starting to do some things that are significant, as well. It was a fun trip for us. It was a good baseball trip.” Colorado won the opener of its eight-game road trip but lost the next four, including a three-game sweep at Philadelphia over the weekend by a combined four runs. Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado, who leads the club in batting average (.306), home runs (11) and RBIs (35) but is 4-for-20 with a two-run homer on the trip, told reporters: “It’s not for lack of preparation or effort. We’re just not executing right now.” Pittsburgh’s Chris Archer takes the ball Tuesday after getting roughed up in his first start since returning from the disabled list and opposes German Marquez, who boasts a 2.55 road ERA.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH German Marquez (4-2, 3.80 ERA) vs. Pirates RH Chris Archer (1-3, 5.58)

Marquez had allowed five runs in 29 innings over four road starts before yielding five runs and 10 hits across 6 1/3 frames and receiving a no-decision in Colorado’s 6-5 loss to Boston on Wednesday. The 24-year-old Venezuelan has a 5.76 ERA in his last four starts after posting a 2.54 through his first six turns of the season. Pittsburgh’s Josh Bell (.333, 14 home runs, 44 RBIs this season) is 1-for-11 with a home run and four strikeouts versus Marquez, who is 3-1 with a 3.00 ERA in four starts against the Pirates.

Archer permitted seven runs (six earned for the second straight game), four hits and four walks over 3 2/3 innings of an 11-1 loss at Arizona on Wednesday. The 30-year-old North Carolina native, whose 4.7 walks per nine innings would mark the worst rate of his career, missed 18 days because of right thumb inflammation. The Rockies’ roster is hitting .250 with one home run (David Dahl) in 48 at-bats versus Archer, who is 2-0 with a 3.27 ERA and 14 strikeouts in 11 innings against Colorado.

WALK-OFFS

1. Pittsburgh OF Melky Cabrera (team-high .341) recorded his 1,900th career hit Sunday and is 9-for-21 in his last seven games.

2. Rockies RF Charlie Blackmon (.294, 10 home runs, 28 RBIs, 34 runs scored) is batting .323 with seven homers, 13 RBIs and 20 runs in 15 May games after going 2-for-5 and belting his 33rd career lead-off home run Sunday.

3. The clubs have split each of the last two season series after the Pirates won 15 of 20 meetings from 2014-16.

PREDICTION: Pirates 3, Rockies 2

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COLORADO vs PHILADELPHIA
GAME: Colorado Rockies (20-22) at Philadelphia Phillies (24-19)
DATE/TIME: Friday, May 17 – 7:05 PM EST
WHERE: Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

TV: 7:05 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountains (Colorado), NBCS Philadelphia
LINE: -125
PREDICTION: Rockies 5, Phillies 3

Oddsmakers currently have the PHILADELPHIA listed as -125 point favorites versus the COLORADO, while the game’s total is sitting at 9.

The Colorado Rockies haven’t been shy about adding to the workload of the scoreboard operator, erupting for 47 runs in their last six contests. The Rockies hope their high-octane offense remains in gear on Friday as they continue their eight-game road trip with the opener of a three-game series against the Philadelphia Phillies, who are mired in a season high-tying three-game skid.

Trevor Story had a two-run single on Wednesday before exiting the eventual 6-5 loss in 10 innings to Boston with a bruised left knee. The 26-year-old hopes to be in the lineup versus Philadelphia, against which he went 5-for-15 with a homer, four RBIs and three runs scored as Colorado claimed three of the four games at Coors Field on April 18-21. Jean Segura missed that series with a strained left hamstring but returned with a flourish, going 21-for-71 in his last 17 games. The 29-year-old has gone deep in the first inning in Wednesday’s 6-1 setback to Milwaukee and Thursday’s 11-3 loss, improving to 17-for-34 with three blasts in the opening frame this season.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rockies RH Jon Gray (3-3, 4.25 ERA) vs. Phillies LH Cole Irvin (1-0, 1.29)

Gray highlighted his 3-0 mark in his last five starts after scattering two hits over six scoreless innings in a 4-1 victory over Philadelphia on April 21. The 27-year-old boasts a 3-2 mark with a 3.44 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in six career against the Phillies, although he is 0-2 with an 8.71 ERA at Citizens Bank Park. Gray has struggled with the home run ball, having been taken deep twice in a no-decision versus San Diego on Saturday and nine times in nine outings this season.

Irvin will be hard-pressed to improve upon his memorable major league debut, as he allowed one run on five hits and struck out five in seven innings of Sunday’s 6-1 victory versus Kansas City. “Cole Irvin has earned the opportunity to get additional looks,” Philadelphia manager Gabe Kapler said. “… In the upcoming start against the Rockies, we feel like, at this point, Cole Irvin gives us our best chance to win that baseball game. That’s why he’ll make that start.” The 25-year-old Irvin posted a 16-4 mark with a 2.51 ERA in nearly 200 innings for Triple-A Lehigh Valley since the start of 2018.

WALK-OFFS

1. Philadelphia RF Bryce Harper is hitting .180 (9-for-50) with 20 strikeouts in May, although he went 6-for-18 with a homer and four RBIs in the previous series versus Colorado.

2. With Story’s status in doubt, the Rockies are expected to call up celebrated prospect IF Brendan Rodgers from Triple-A Albuquerque for Friday’s series opener, according to MLB.com, citing an unidentified league source.

3. Phillies 1B Rhys Hoskins is 1-for-10 in his last three games heading into the tilt with Colorado, against which he went 6-for-18 in the previous series.

PREDICTION: Rockies 5, Phillies 3

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SAN DIEGO vs COLORADO
GAME: San Diego Padres (22-18) at Colorado Rockies (18-21)
DATE/TIME: Sunday, May 12 – 3:10 PM EST
WHERE: Coors Field, Denver, Colorado

TV: 3:10 p.m. ET, FS San Diego, AT&T SportsNet-Rocky Mountain (Colorado)
LINE: -120
PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Padres 5

Oddsmakers currently have the COLORADO listed as -120 point favorites versus the SAN DIEGO, while the game’s total is sitting at 11.

This weekend’s visit to Coors Field came at just the right time for Wil Myers, who made himself right at home in Saturday’s contest. Myers looks to build on the encouraging performance Sunday when the San Diego Padres face the Colorado Rockies in the rubber match of their three-game series.

Myers was hitting .091 with 17 strikeouts in his previous 12 games before going 2-for-4 with his seventh home run in Saturday’s 4-3 victory. Hunter Renfroe belted his 10th homer and Austin Hedges snapped an 0-for-16 skid with two hits as the Padres won for the fourth time in six games. After scoring 12 runs in back-to-back contests, Colorado managed just six hits in Saturday’s loss but tied the game in the eighth on Charlie Blackmon’s solo blast. While Blackmon has gone 14-for-38 with 13 runs scored during his nine-game hitting streak, Ian Desmond went 0-for-4 with two strikeouts on Saturday after showing signs of breaking out of his season-long slump with six hits over his previous three contests.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Padres LH Nick Margevicius (2-3, 3.47 ERA) vs. Rockies RH Antonio Senzatela (2-2, 5.67)

Margevicius gave up three runs and seven hits with no strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Los Angeles Dodgers last Sunday. Part of the youngest rotation in the majors, the 22-year-old rookie made only one start above Single-A before tossing five innings of one-run ball against San Francisco in his major-league debut on March 30. Margevicius has issued a total of 11 walks in his last three starts compared to just two in his first four turns.

Senzatela is looking to bounce back after allowing seven runs and eight hits over 4 2/3 innings in Tuesday’s 14-4 loss to San Francisco. The 24-year-old Venezuelan has struggled in two starts at home this season, going 0-2 with a 9.28 ERA. Myers is 6-for-15 with a home run against Senzatela, who owns a 5-1 record and 3.18 ERA in 11 career games (five starts) versus San Diego – including a 5-2 victory in his season debut on April 15.

WALK-OFFS

1. San Diego 1B Eric Hosmer has gone 14-for-37 during his nine-game hitting streak.

2. The Padres placed Francisco Mejia (knee) on the 10-day injured list and recalled fellow C Austin Allen from Triple-A El Paso.

3. Colorado 3B Nolan Arenado is 19-for-39 over his last nine games.

PREDICTION: Rockies 7, Padres 5

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EDMONTON OILERS vs COLORADO AVALANCHE
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Tuesday, December 11, 2018
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

TV: 9:00 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: COLORADO , EDMONTON

Oddsmakers currently have the EDMONTON listed as 130-moneyline favorites versus the COLORADO, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

The Edmonton Oilers appear to be a different team under coach Ken Hitchcock as they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday. Edmonton defeated Calgary 1-0 on Sunday for its third straight victory and sixth in the last seven games, and is 7-2-1 – 6-0-1 in one-goal contests – since Hitchcock took over from Todd McLellan on Nov. 20.

“It’s a one-goal league, it always has been, and you have to find a way to win these tight games,” Edmonton captain Connor McDavid told reporters after scoring Sunday. “We’ve been doing a good job to find a way to end up on the right side of the score.” Colorado plays five of its next six at home after a 7-1 loss to Tampa Bay on Saturday capped a 2-2-0 road trip. The Avalanche won the first of three meetings this season 4-1 in Edmonton on Nov. 11, starting an 10-2-2 run that vaulted Colorado into a first-place tie with Nashville in the Central Division and halting the Oilers’ six-game point streak in the series (5-0-1). McDavid was kept off the scoresheet in that contest after recording seven goals and 15 points in his first eight games against the Avalanche.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE OILERS (16-12-2): McDavid, the two-time reigning Art Ross Trophy winner, was fourth in the league entering Monday with 41 points after compiling 18 (six goals) in the last 12 games while pointless in only one contest during that span. Mikko Koskinen, 30, whose only NHL experience prior to this season was four games with the New York Islanders in 2010-11, has outplayed Cam Talbot in goal. Koskinen, though, is 6-0-0 with a 0.91 goals-against average and .970 save percentage in seven home games but 3-3-1, 3.17, .889 in seven road contests while Talbot is 3-4-1, 3.52, .885 at home and 4-5-0, 2.79, .904 away from home.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (17-8-5): Nathan MacKinnon scored his team-high 20th goal Saturday, joining Joe Sakic (1995-96) as the only players in club history to record 20 goals in the first 30 games and giving him the second-most points in the league entering Monday with 45. Mikko Rantanen has five goals and 14 assists during an 11-game point streak and leads the NHL with 48 points and 36 assists. The line of MacKinnon, Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog (17 goals, 34 points) is responsible for 45.4 percent of the team’s goals and 43.6 percent of its points.

OVERTIME

1. Colorado, which owns the league’s top power-play unit at 30.2 percent, hasn’t scored with the man advantage in its last two games – the first time this season it hasn’t scored one in consecutive contests.

2. Edmonton is 0-for-17 on the power play in its last five games while the Avalanche have killed only 7-of-11 penalties over the past three contests.

3. Colorado C Carl Soderberg (10) is the only other Avalanche player with double-digit goals while F Colin Wilson and LW J.T. Compher have seven apiece.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 3, Oilers 2

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COLORADO AVALANCHE vs DETROIT RED WINGS
When: 7:00 PM  ET, Sunday, December 2, 2018
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan

TV: 7:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: DETROIT , COLORADO

Oddsmakers currently have the COLORADO listed as -160-moneyline favorites versus the DETROIT, while the game’s total is sitting at 6.

Colorado’s high-powered top line had a quiet end to an otherwise loud month last time out and look to get back to business as the Avalanche attempt to extend their point streak to 11 games Sunday night against the host Detroit Red Wings. Mikko Rantanen had a goal, giving him an NHL-most 43 points, but linemates Nathan MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog were kept off the scoresheet in Friday’s 3-2 overtime loss to last-place St. Louis at home.

“The third period, we found a way to start pouring it on,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar told reporters after his team rallied from a 2-0 first-period deficit to tie. “I felt like a couple of our guys who were missing for the first couple periods started to play well in the third. … We didn’t capitalize on a couple good looks.” The Avalanche, who are 8-0-2 in their last 10 contests, look to get their four-game road trip off to a good start when they take on a Detroit team that has totally turned around its season after opening with nine losses in 10 games (1-7-2). The Red Wings improved to 11-4-1 since that woeful start with a 4-2 victory over Boston on Saturday as Frans Nielsen scored the go-ahead goal – his first tally of the season – and Jimmy Howard made 38 saves. “We’re finding ways to get points when we can and we’re finding ways to win as well,” Howard told reporters. “We’ve got good habits going right now for the most part and we just gotta keep it rolling into (Sunday).”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, Altitude (Colorado), FS Detroit

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (15-6-5): Rantanen boasts a seven-game point streak and had 22 points in November while MacKinnon had 23 of his 41 and was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Month. Landeskog adds 28 points and leads the team with a plus-18 rating to round out a top line that has combined for 14 power-play goals on a unit that ranks first in the league (31.4 percent). Tyson Barrie (three goals, 20 points) could miss his fourth straight game with a lower-body injury and fellow defenseman Mark Barberio (upper body) was placed on injured reserve, giving Mark Alt a chance to make his season debut on the blue line Friday.

ABOUT THE RED WINGS (12-11-3): Dylan Larkin notched his 10th goal to maintain the team lead with 22 points, but fellow forward Gustav Nyquist recorded three (goal, two assists) to move within one of the speedy center. Detroit is starting to get more contributions from its defense as Mike Green boasts five of his 14 points in the last four games while Danny DeKeyser registered five assists in his past six contests. Special teams have a been a concern of late as the Red Wings are 2-of-20 on the power play, including 1-of-4 on Saturday in the past eight games and have killed only 11-of-17 in the past four contests after giving up one to the Bruins.

OVERTIME

1. Detroit D Trevor Daley (lower body) sat out Saturday’s game and is questionable for the Avalanche matchup.

2. Colorado D Erik Johnson received a game misconduct Friday for his hit on Alex Steen, but will not face supplemental discipline.

3. The Avalanche won both meetings last season, including a 4-3 overtime triumph at Detroit.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 5, Red Wings 2

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WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs COLORADO AVALANCHE
When: 9:00 PM  ET, Friday, November 16, 2018
Where: Pepsi Center, Denver, Colorado

TV: 9:05 PM
LINE: 0
PREDICTION: COLORADO , WASHINGTON

Oddsmakers currently have the WASHINGTON listed as 105-moneyline favorites versus the COLORADO, while the game’s total is sitting at 5.5.

The reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals could be short-handed when they continue a four-game road trip against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday night. The Capitals dropped a 3-1 decision at Winnipeg on Wednesday in a game in which goalie Braden Holtby was a late scratch before leading scorer Evgeny Kuznetsov and fellow forward T.J. Oshie went down with injuries during the contest.

Holtby will be re-evaluated for an upper-body injury while Kuznetsov (team-high 21 points) was held out for precautionary reasons after taking a headshot in the first period and Oshie left when he was thrown on his head by Josh Morrissey late in the contest. The Capitals, who said all the players are day-to-day, have lost three of their last four contests and scored once in each of the three setbacks while Colorado rebounded from a five-game losing streak to win its last two. The Avalanche fell behind two goals against Boston on Wednesday before scoring the last five to post an impressive 6-3 victory as the top line of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog registered three goals and three assists. “It’s big for us because we just went through a little stretch where we couldn’t win, and we went into Edmonton and had a really nice game (4-1 win Sunday) … ,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar told reporters. “You have a great game, you want to repeat it.”

TV: 9 p.m. ET, NBCS Washington Plus, Altitude (Colorado)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (8-7-3): In addition to the three injuries Wednesday, Michal Kempny missed the game with illness and fellow defenseman Brooks Orpik has been out since late October with a lower-body ailment. Captain Alex Ovechkin has not scored in four games, but leads the team with 12 goals while tying for second in points with center Nicklas Backstrom (team-high 16 assists) at 20. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov is beginning to find his top form with two goals, two assists and a plus-4 rating in two games after managing two points and a minus-8 in the first 16.

ABOUT THE AVALANCHE (9-6-3): Colorado’s top line has combined for 75 points in the first 18 games with Rantanen leading the way at 29 and Landeskog along with MacKinnon each recording 12 goals. The Avalanche can turn it on even more offensively when their defensemen are activated and blue liners Tyson Barrie (four points, last three games) along with Samuel Girard (five assists, last five contests) are on a roll. Center Alexander Kerfoot has also picked up his production level with eight of his 14 points in the last six contests and goals in back-to-back games.

OVERTIME

1. The Capitals have won seven of the last eight meetings, but fell 6-2 at Colorado last season.

2. Washington F Tom Wilson, who scored in his first game back from a long suspension Tuesday, was a minus-2 against Winnipeg.

3. Colorado C Tyson Jost has registered two of his three goals on the season in the last three games.

PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Capitals 3

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