Colorado Avalanche vs New York Rangers Picks and Predictions November 20th 2025

Rangers vs Avalanche Betting Preview

Colorado enters Thursday with one of the league’s strongest goalie stories. Scott Wedgewood took the starter’s net while Mackenzie Blackwood recovered, and he has not given it back. He is 11-1-2 with a 2.17 GAA. His positioning is unorthodox, but he stops pucks consistently. He stole Sunday’s win over the Islanders and earned praise from Patrick Roy.

The Avalanche ride a six-game win streak. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 33 points. Cale Makar paces all defensemen with 25. Colorado’s 78 goals are the league’s best. When they get average goaltending, they win often. When they get elite goaltending, like Wedgewood’s recent work, they look close to unbeatable.

New York hits Denver early in a long travel stretch. The Rangers dropped a close 3-2 game in Vegas on Tuesday and have lost two straight. Their offense ranks near the bottom with 52 goals. Artemi Panarin leads the team with 19 points. Mika Zibanejad holds the goal lead with seven. J.T. Miller continues to struggle with only four goals in 21 games.

Mike Sullivan returned Tuesday after missing Sunday’s game for family reasons. The Rangers need scoring consistency to stay in games against high-powered opponents like Colorado.

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Line Movement and Odds

Current market:

• Avalanche -214, Rangers +179
• Puck Line: Avs -1.5 (+117), Rangers +1.5 (-141)
• Total 6 (over -117, under -104)

Colorado opened closer to -200 before early Avalanche support pushed the number up. The total holds steady at 6. Public bettors lean over because of Colorado’s scoring profile. Sharper money hit the Avalanche puck line early, expecting a possession mismatch.

Track all market changes on the NHL odds board

Matchup Breakdown

New York outlook
The Rangers defend well and block shots, but they lack finishing touch. Miller’s struggles are central. New York creates zone time but cannot convert enough. Shesterkin keeps them competitive, but he must handle heavy volume. Their bottom six generates limited offense. Transition defense has also slipped.

If they want to pull an upset, they need sustained ozone pressure and a strong night from the top line.

Colorado outlook
Colorado fires in layers. MacKinnon drives pace. Makar attacks seams. Brock Nelson and Martin Necas add scoring depth. The Avalanche rank second in shot share and first in assists. Their transition game breaks structures quickly. They also defend better at home with quicker neutral-zone gaps.

Wedgewood’s stability increases their margin for error. Colorado can overwhelm a Rangers team that struggles to finish.

Key battle
Rangers’ defensive structure versus Colorado’s pace. If New York cannot slow MacKinnon’s carry-ins, the Avalanche can control the game early.

Injuries and Conditions

New York Rangers

• Matt Rempe, out, upper body.
  Track updates on the New York Rangers injury report

Colorado Avalanche

• Joel Kiviranta, out, lower body.
• Jacob MacDonald, out, hip.
• Valeri Nichushkin, out, lower body.
• Logan O’Connor, out, hip.
• Nikita Prishchepov, out, personal.
  See the full Colorado Avalanche injury report

Best Bets and Prediction

Colorado has the form, the offense and the goaltending edge. New York is competitive defensively but lacks conversion. Altitude and pace favor Colorado.

Projected score: Avalanche 4, Rangers 2.
Best bet: Avalanche -214.
Secondary lean: Over 6.

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