by Rod Pearson
Friday, Apr 17, 2026
Game Time: 3:00 pm ET, Sunday, April 19, 2026
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Where to Watch: TNT, HBO Max, truTV
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Kings +205, Avalanche -250; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Kings +205, Avalanche -250; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Kings +200, Avalanche -250; Over/Under: 6 goals
Season Record
Los Angeles Kings: 35-27-20 (4th place, Pacific Division)
Colorado Avalanche: 55-16-11 (1st place, Central Division)
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Recent Form
Los Angeles Kings: 6-2-2 last 10
Colorado Avalanche: 7-2-1 last 10
Los Angeles Kings vs Colorado Avalanche Preview and Analysis
The Kings are entering the playoffs with 90 points, a 35-27-20 record overall, and they were 20-10-11 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Calgary Flames in their last game, losing that one on the road 3-1. Quinton Byfield scored 1 goal for them in that one. Alex Laferriere and Trevor Moore each led the team in assists with 1 while Trevor Moore led the team in shots on net in that game with 7. Anton Forsberg was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 20 shots with 18 saves and a .900 save percentage. Their offense has scored 225 goals this season averaging 2.7 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 247 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.
The Avalanche are entering the playoffs with 121 points, a 55-16-11 record overall, and they were 26-9-6 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Seattle Kraken in their last game, winning that one at home 2-0. Nick Blankenburg and Parker Kelly each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Valeri Nichushkin led the team in assists with 2 while Joel Kiviranta led the team in shots on net in that game with 6. Scott Wedgewood was the starting goalie in that game and he recorded the shutout as he allowed 0 goals on 22 shots with 22 saves and a 1.000 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 302 goals this season averaging 3.7 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 203 goals against them allowing 2.5 goals per game.
Kings vs Avalanche Prediction
The current betting odds have the Avalanche listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Avalanche have looked great in their games this season with their 55-16-11 record overall which had them right at the top of their division in the West with the best record in the entire NHL. They have looked great on home ice too with their 26-9-8 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Kings have looked good in their games this season with their 35-27-20 record overall which had them in the top half of their division in the West. They have been a good road team too with their 20-10-11 road record this year. This is the 1st game of a 7-game series between the 1st seeded Avalanche in the Central and the 2nd Wild Card Kings from the Pacific for the 1st round of the NHL playoffs. The Kings have looked really good lately and they have been a better road team this season than they have been a home team. They are 6-2-2 in their last 10 games and have pretty much needed every last point since they were still fighting for the last Wild Card spot over the last week. They ended up locking it in, but now they are entering this series with 2 losses in a row and they haven't really been a good team all year. They were never really in the playoff race until late in the year since they had a terrible start to the season, and they even needed to fire their head coach midway through the year. They have had a lot of trouble all season and now they are starting to cool off again which is going to be an issue here against the best team in the NHL. The Avalanche took control of the NHL early in the year and never really looked back, winning the Presidents' Trophy by a large margin. They were the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot and they have been playing a lot of meaningless games lately, but they have still been rolling in these. They are 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and they have the momentum on their side entering this series with 3 wins in a row. The Avalanche are going to be looking to set the tone for this series in this 1st game and the Kings won't pose much of a threat for them. The best way to place a bet here is on the Avalanche to win this game and on the puckline.
Kings Avalanche Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Sunday, April 19, 2026 (3:00 pm ET start time) is Avalanche 6 Kings 2.
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NHL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Kings: 129-127 (-39.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 29-47 (-10.5 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 to +200. 59-63 (-19.1 units) on the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite. 9-2 OVER in the first round of the playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche: 54-17 (+19.6 units) on the moneyline when playing against a marginal losing team (Win Pct. 40% to 49%). 19-7 (+8.3 units) on the moneyline after 3 or more consecutive unders. 41-11 (+23.4 units) on the moneyline when playing with 2 days rest. 8-4 OVER in the first round of the playoffs.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Kings: A. Turcotte (C) Day To Day - Undisclosed. J. Malott (LW) Day To Day - Undisclosed. A. Kuzmenko (LW) Day To Day - Knee. K. Fiala (LW) Out For Season - Leg.
Colorado Avalanche: J. Manson (D) Day To Day - Upper Body. N. Kadri (C) Day To Day - Finger.
Notable Quotes
“For us, I don’t think it matters. Whoever we were going to play, we’d be the underdog and kind of coming from the back, we’re playing well. We know there’s going to be spurts where they’re going to be really, really good. But we’re going to have to look at it and manage those times. We’ve got some guys playing well here as well, so we’re going to find out.” - D.J. Smith after his team’s loss against the Flames in their game on Thursday.
“I thought everyone tonight played with great commitment and a great mentality to check the right way, and I thought we (had a) solid game. We did a nice job on the offensive side of things. I thought we could have earned a couple more. We did a great job on the defensive side of it. I like where our team is at going into this. Get them some rest here, get them up to speed on L.A. and turn them loose.” - Jared Bednar after his team’s win against the Kraken in their game on Thursday.
Starting Lineups
Los Angeles Kings
LW Artemi Panarin
C Anze Kopitar
RW Adrian Kempe
LD Mikey Anderson
RD Drew Doughty
G Anton Forsberg
Colorado Avalanche
LW Artturi Lehkonen
C Nathan MacKinnon
RW Martin Necas
LD Devon Toews
RD Cale Makar
G Scott Wedgewood
Statistical Leaders
Los Angeles Kings
Points: Adrian Kempe (73)
Goals: Adrian Kempe (36)
Assists: Adrian Kempe (37)
GAA: Anton Forsberg (2.57)
Colorado Avalanche
Points: Nathan MacKinnon (127)
Goals: Nathan MacKinnon (53)
Assists: Nathan MacKinnon (74)
GAA: Scott Wedgewood (2.02)
Coaches:
Los Angeles Kings: D.J. Smith (Interim)
Colorado Avalanche: Jared Bednar (10th season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
