Carter Hart made 36 saves, some spectacular, four different players scored and seven had one assist each in the Vegas Golden Knights' big 4-2 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the 2026 NHL Western Conference finals on Wednesday. Now the top-seeded Avs must find a way to avoid a 2-0 series hole at home in the best-of-seven series when it resumes on Friday. Vegas is looking for its second Stanley Cup in four years, while Colorado eyes a second title in five years.
Face-off from Ball Arena in Denver is set for 8 p.m. ET. The Avalanche are the -201 favorites (risk $201 to win $100) in the latest Avalanche vs. Golden Knights odds, while the over/under for total goals scored is 6.5. Before making any Golden Knights vs. Avalanche picks, check out the NHL predictions and betting advice for Golden Knights vs. Avalanche from the SportsLine Projection Model.
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The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NHL game 10,000 times. The model entered the conference final round of the 2026 NHL playoffs with a +668 return on top-rated money-line NHL picks. Anyone following its NHL betting advice at sportsbooks and on betting apps could have seen strong returns.
Now, the model has simulated Golden Knights vs. Avalanche 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NHL picks and betting predictions. You can head to SportsLine now to see the model's picks. Here are several NHL odds and trends for Avs vs. Golden Knights:
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche money line: | Avalanche -201, Golden Knights -166 |
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche over/under: | 6.5 goals |
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche puck line: | Avalanche -1.5 (+129) |
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche picks: | |
Golden Knights vs. Avalanche streaming: | Fubo (Try for free) |
Top Golden Knights vs. Avalanche predictions
After 10,000 simulations of Golden Knights vs. Avalanche, SportsLine's model is going Over on the total (6.5). These were two of the three highest-scoring teams in the NHL this season, with the Avalanche averaging 4.1 goals and the Knights at 3.7. The Over has hit in 16 of the 31 games in which Hart starts in goal for Vegas, including four pushes. The Over has also hit in six of the Golden Knights' last 11 games, including two pushes, and in six of the past 11 Colorado games.
The SportsLine model is projecting three Golden Knights players to average over .5 points over its 10,000 simulations, including Jack Eichel (0.61), Mark Stone (0.56) and Mitch Marner (0.53). Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon is projected to lead his team (0.84 points), with Nazem Kadri (0.58) and Martin Necas (0.56) next in line. It also projects 6.7 combined goals between the teams, making the Over the play 53% of the time. See the model's Golden Knights vs. Avalanche predictions at SportsLine.
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How to make Golden Knights vs. Avalanche picks
After simulating each shift of Golden Knights vs. Avalanche 10,000 times, the model also says one side of the money line has all the value. You can head to SportsLine to see the model's NHL picks.
So who wins Avalanche vs. Golden Knights, and which side of the money line has all the value? Visit SportsLine now to see which side of the Golden Knights vs. Avalanche spread to back, all from the model that has returned $668 on top-rated NHL picks, and find out.
