by Rod Pearson
Monday, Apr 20, 2026
Game Time: 10:00 pm ET, Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Venue: Ball Arena, Denver, CO
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Kings +225, Avalanche -278; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Kings +225, Avalanche -275; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Kings +225, Avalanche -275; 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 Colorado Avalanche in their last game, losing that one on the road 2-1. Artemi Panarin scored 1 goal for them in that one. Alex Laferriere and Brandt Clarke each led the team in assists with 1 while Scott Laughton led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Anton Forsberg was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 30 shots with 28 saves and a .933 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 Los Angeles Kings in their last game, winning that one at home 2-1. Artturi Lehkonen and Logan O'Connor each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Jack Drury and Nathan MacKinnon each led the team in assists with 1 while Cale Makar and Sam Malinski each led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Scott Wedgewood was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 25 shots with 24 saves and a .960 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 game 2 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 Avalanche are entering this series with a 1-0 series lead after winning game 1 by a score of 2-1. The Avalanche have been the best team in the NHL all season and it hasn't really been close as there was never a team that had nearly as many points as they did. They have looked great lately, going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games, but they had a sluggish start to this series. They only beat the Kings by a score of 2-1 in a much tighter game than expected, but that was also an afternoon game for them so they might not have had their best effort with the awkward start time. They will be looking to come out much stronger in this one as the Kings are not a good team. The Kings were fortunate to slip into the last playoff spot in the West, but they weren't really a playoff team for most of the season. They got hot near the end of the year, but now they have cooled off again and they are one of the few teams in the playoffs this year who have given up more goals than they have scored. The Kings don't really belong in the playoffs this season while the Avalanche have looked unstoppable at times and they aren't going to drop a home game in this series. 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 Tuesday, April 21, 2026 (10:00 pm ET start time) is Avalanche 7 Kings 3.
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NHL Betting Trends
Los Angeles Kings: 129-128 (-40.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 29-48 (-11.5 units) on the moneyline as an underdog. 59-64 (-20.1 units) on the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent as a favorite. 9-3 OVER in the first round of the playoffs.
Colorado Avalanche: 55-17 (+20.6 units) on the moneyline when playing against a marginal losing team (Win Pct. 40% to 49%). 20-7 (+9.3 units) on the moneyline after 3 or more consecutive unders. 27-9 (+4.6 units) on the moneyline as a home favorite of -200 to -300. 16-9 OVER after 3 or more consecutive unders.
Key Injuries
Los Angeles Kings: K. Fiala (LW) Out For Season - Leg.
Colorado Avalanche: None.
Notable Quotes
“We’re comfortable in low-scoring games. We've got to try and keep it tight.” - Mikey Anderson after their loss against the Avalanche in the 1st game of this series on Sunday.
“Super happy to get it out of the way. For us, our game translates well to the playoffs. It’s a lot of simplicity and muck it up and just wear teams down. It was nice to get that one out of the way and finish the job off.” - Logan O’Connor after their win against the LA Kings in game 1 of this series on Sunday.
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.
