Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon (29) gets a shot off between Arizona Coyotes Jakob Chychrun (6) and Alex Goligoski during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021, in Glendale, Ariz. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
- The Colorado Avalanche (11-6-1) are 1.5-goal favorites vs the San Jose Sharks as the late contest on the eight-game March 1 NHL schedule
- The Sharks are 8-3-1 in their last 12 games, and that includes a pair of wins against the Sharks
- Here are the odds, lines, and picks for each game, plus best bets
Most NHL teams would be content with an 11-6-1 start, but the record is a bit disappointing for the Colorado Avalanche who came into the season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
On January 10, the Avalanche were the favorites (+647) to win the Stanley Cup. Today, the Avalanche (+742) have the second behind the Tampa Bay Lightning (+717). The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the neighborhood (+750.)
After a lackluster 4-3 start, the Avalanche have started to pick up their pace. The Avs are clear favorites against the struggling San Jose Sharks on their March 1 meeting.
NHL Odds March 1st
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carolina Hurricanes | -118 | -1.5 (+220) | O 6.5 (+102) |
| Florida Panthers | +102 | +1.5 (-275) | U 6.5 (-124) |
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Calgary Flames | -167 | +1.5(+155) | O 6.0 (-114) |
| Ottawa Senators | +143 | +1.5(-275) | U 6 (-107) |
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Vancouver Canucks | +115 | +1.5 (-235) | O 6.5 (-110) |
| Winnipeg Jets | -132 | -1.5(+190) | U 6.5 (-110) |
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Minnesota Wild | +120 | +1.5 (-225) | O 5.5 (-113) |
| Vegas Golden Knights | -139 | 1.5(+185) | U 5.5 (-108) |
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| St. Louis Blues | -152 | -1.5 (+175) | O 5.5 (+105) |
| Anaheim Ducks | +130 | +1.5 (-175) | U 5.5 (-127) |
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total</th< |
| Toronto Maple Leafs | -107 | +1.5 (-295) | O 6.5 (-117) |
| Edmonton Oilers | -109 | -1.5 (+240) | U 6.5 (-105) |
| Team | Moneyline | Spread | Total |
| Colorado Avalanche | -190 | -1.5 (+138) | O 6.5 (-107) |
| San Jose Sharks | +163 | +1.5(+165) | U 6.5 (-113) |
Odds taken Feb. 28th at DraftKings
Avalanche Can Pick Apart Sharks’ Defense
Colorado’s offense has been undermined by injury frequently this season. Even now, gifted puck-moving defenseman Cale Makar is out with an undisclosed injury.
But the Avalanche are still scoring better than three goals per game, and the Sharks have the NHL’s second-worst goals-against-average of 3.89. This is the third consecutive season that No. 1 goalie Martin Jones has struggled. His save percentage is .877 and his GAA is 3.85.
Last week Bob Boughner pretty much said Martin Jones was one bad start away from going on waivers….. did we hit that point tonight? #Sharks
— World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) February 23, 2021
Defenseman Erik Karlsson also seems like he has lost the major that helped him win the Norris Trophy in the past. He’s has no goals, four assists and is -7. The Sharks have given up 17 goals in their last three games, and have shown no signs improving.
Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have combined for 13 goals and 31 points between them. Philipp Grubauer (2.02 GAA and .923 save percentage) has been better than expected in net. Some pundits believe the Avalanche should trade for a goalie, but the Avs have faith in Grubauer.
Pick: Colorado -1.5 (+138)
2021 NHL Eastern and Western Conference Title Odds Tracker
Jets Have the Offense to Cover the Spread
The Winnipeg Jets score a lot of goals and the Vancouver Canucks give up plenty of goals. This is the game to bet the over, or pick the favorites to cover.
The +190 odds to cover is the determining factor. The Jets deserve to be heavy favorites.
Longest point streaks, this season:
Auston Matthews (13 GP)
Mark Scheifele (11 GP)
Pavel Zacha (10 GP)
Connor McDavid (10 GP)
Leon Draisaitl (10 GP)#NHLStats pic.twitter.com/KOEXLW63IB— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 28, 2021
Winnipeg beat the Canucks twice last week, and covered the spread in one game and won in overtime in the other game. But the Canucks have lost four in a row, and five of their last six. They aren’t playing winning hockey. They rank 29th out of 31 teams with a 3.54 goals-against average and their their scoring production is below the league average.
Meanwhile, with center Mark Scheifele (11-17-28) leading the way, the Jets are third in the NHL with a 3.45 goals-per-game average. Their 23.4% power play has helped. Plus they have one of the NHL’s top goalies in Connor Hellebuyck. This all sounds like a recipe for the Jets to cover the spread.
Pick: Jets -1.5 (+190)
Kevin Allen has covered most major events, including the Olympics, Super Bowl, World Series, NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final. He covered the NHL for USA Today from 1986-2020, receiving the Lester Patrick Award in 2013 and was honored by the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2014 with the Elmer Ferguson Award.