The NHL betting board has four games on Sunday afternoon, including a Western Conference matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Dallas Stars.
The Avs are the hottest team in the league and will have Nathan Mackinnon back in their lineup after a four-game absence. That said, it won't be easy to defeat the Stars at American Airlines Center, where they have won 22 of their last 30 games.
Colorado enters this game as a -165 road favorite while Dallas comes back at +140. Here are our best free Avalanche vs. Stars NHL picks and predictions for Sunday, February 13.
Avalanche vs Stars odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
This line opened with the Avalanche installed as -156 favorites with the Over/Under at 6. Early money has come in on the Avs, shifting the line to around -165 at most online sportsbooks as of 9 a.m. ET.
When these teams previously played against each other this season back in November, the Stars won 3-1 as +108 home underdogs.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Avalanche vs Stars predictions
Predictions made on 2/13/2022 at 9:05 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NHL season, here are two of the best bonuses available:
USA: Sign up with Caesars and get your first bet matched up to $1,001! Claim Now
Canada: Bet on any team to win a game involving a Canadian team at Betway — if they jump out to a 2-0 lead, you get paid out as a winner, regardless of the final result! Claim Now
Avalanche vs Stars game info
• Location: American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
• Date: Sunday, February 13, 2022
• Puck drop: 2:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Altitude, Bally Sports Southwest+
Avalanche vs Stars betting preview
Key injuries
Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon C (Probable), Bowen Byram D (Out), Jacob MacDonald D (Out).
Stars: Andrej Sekera D (Questionable), John Klingberg D (Questionable), Radek Faksa C (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Avalanche vs Stars head-to-head record since 2020
Avalanche: 4-6, 36 goals for.
Stars: 6-4, 34 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 23-9-4 in Colorado's last 36 games versus Western Conference opponents. Find more NHL betting trends for Avalanche vs. Stars.
Avalanche vs Stars picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline analysis
Colorado is coming off a 3-2 win against the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday and has gone an incredible 21-3 in its last 24 games. The Avalanche now have the league's best record at 33-8-4 and remain the Stanley Cup odds favorites at +475.
The Avs have a high-powered offense that ranks second in the league in scoring with 4.07 goals per game. They've also been getting terrific play in nets from Darcy Kuemper who has a 1.58 GAA with a .948 save percentage in his last eight games.
The Stars have seven wins in their last nine games and are coming off a 4-3 overtime victory against the Jets on Friday. The Stars are a modest 16th in the league in goals per game (3.0) but they've been clicking on offense lately. Braden Holtby is scheduled to start between the pipes for the first time since January 28 when he was shelled for five goals on 27 shots against the Capitals.
Holtby has given up at least four goals in five of his last nine starts and will face against an Avs team that has Nathan Mackinnon back in the fold. Mackinnon has been out since suffering a concussion and facial injuries versus Boston on January 26.
The perennial Hart Trophy finalist has racked up 43 points in 31 games this season and is one of six Avs players scoring at a point per game level, while two others (Valeri Nichushkin and Andre Burakovsky) are only slightly below that clip.
The Stars have been terrific at home this season, going 17-6-1. However, they are a middling 3-3 in their last six contests in Dallas, including a 5-0 whitewashing at the hands of the Capitals and a 5-3 loss to the last-place Canadiens. With the Avs going 4-0 in their last four games on the road and boasting a big advantage in nets, back them on the moneyline.
Prediction: Avalanche ML (-165)
Over/Under analysis
When it comes to special teams, both of these squads have sizzled on the powerplay while getting burned on the penalty kill.
The Stars convert on 25.2% of all opportunities with the man advantage but kill just 76.9% of all penalties. Meanwhile, the Avs have a 24.6 PP% with a 77.4 PK%. That's just one reason to like the Over in this one.
We've mentioned how deep and talented the Avs are up front with the ability to roll out two elite lines. And while they scored only five goals in their last two games, they still managed to generate at least 40 shots in each of those contests and will now have their best playmaker back in the fold.
The Stars have also looked sharp on the offensive end of the ice lately, slotting at least four goals in six of their last nine games. They've been particularly effective at putting the puck in the net at home, where they average 3.54 gpg.
Combine all that with some shaky goaltending and possible rust from Holtby, and we're grabbing the Over.
Prediction: Over 6 (-110)
Best bet
With how well the Stars play at home, we're not super confident in backing the Avs on the moneyline at those odds. But the Over seems like the more reliable play for all the reasons we outlined above.
If you like trends, they also all support that narrative with the Avs 15-6-1 O/U in their last 22 away contests and the Stars 4-0 to the Over in their previous four contests. The Over has also gone 6-2 in the last eight meetings between these teams, going back to the summer of 2020.
Pick: Over 6 (-120)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NHL Avalanche vs. Stars picks, you could win $19.44 on a $10 bet?
Use our NHL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
