Despite recent slump, Avalanche slight favorites to win first series

The Colorado Avalanche are not playing their best hockey of the season right now.

The team has skated off losers in seven of their last 10 games and limps into the playoffs. They will now start the postseason on the road for the first time since 2018-2019 season.

Winnipeg beat Seattle 4-3 on Tuesday night, ensuring the series between the Avalanche and Jets will begin up North. They have 108 points while Colorado has 105, so both team’s season finales on Thursday night are essentially meaningless. The Dallas Stars wrapped up the Central Division title over the weekend.

But despite their 0-3 record against the Jets this year, including an embarrassing 7-0 shutout on Saturday at Ball Arena, the oddsmakers have the Avalanche as slight favorites to win the series.

One popular sportsbook pins the Avs at -138, while the Jets are +115. That means you’d have to wager $138 on Colorado to be the first to four wins to make $100, while a $100 bet on Winnipeg to pull it out would pay $115. It’s more or less a coin flip, with the Avalanche being on the slightly better side.

For perspective, the biggest odds thus far are in the Eastern Conference with the Presidents’ Trophy winner Rangers at -375 and the Capitals at +290. That looks like a mismatch on paper, unlike the Avs and Jets.

Winnipeg outscored Colorado 17-4 in their three matchups this year, never playing a game closer than two goals. The Avalanche have bigger stars in Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen, but the Jets have the better goalie in Connor Hellebuyck.

Meanwhile, the Avs are +850 to win the Stanley Cup, tied for the fifth best number in the NHL. Winnipeg is +1500, which is the 11th best odds in the league.

The series will get going either later this weekend or early next week, with the NHL expected to drop a schedule as soon as Thursday night.