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Game 3 shifts to Crypto.com Arena on Thursday night with puck drop set for 10:00 PM ET, and the spot is pretty clear for bettors. Colorado is up 2-0 in the series after two tight wins in Denver, and now the Kings are the side that has to change something fast. The Avalanche entered the playoffs as the top team in the West after a 55-16-11 regular season, while Los Angeles got in as the No. 8 seed and is already staring at a potential 3-0 hole if this one slips away. This game is scheduled for TNT, truTV, and HBO Max, and the market still frames Colorado as the favorite with the total sitting at 5.5.
What makes this matchup interesting is that the series score says Colorado control, but the game flow has still been pretty tight. The Kings have only managed one goal in each of the first two games, both from Artemi Panarin on the power play, and that tells you where the pressure sits now. Los Angeles finally gets home ice and last change, which should help D.J. Smith find cleaner matchups for Kopitar, Kempe, and Panarin. Still, Colorado has already shown it can win this series in a lower-event script, which matters when you start deciding between moneyline, puck line, and total.
Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings Odds
These are the current betting lines for this matchup as provided, though bettors should still monitor the latest NHL odds before puck drop because goalie confirmation and late lineup news can still move a playoff market.
| Team | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado Avalanche | -160 | -1.5 (+159) | O 5.5 (-110) |
| Los Angeles Kings | +140 | +1.5 (-194) | U 5.5 (-110) |
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Colorado Avalanche Betting Form
Colorado still looks like the cleaner side because the full profile is elite, not just the surface record. The Avalanche finished first in the league in goals per game, first in goals allowed, first in five-on-five scoring, first in five-on-five defense, and first in shots on goal per game. That is basically every category bettors want to trust in a playoff road favorite. If you want the broader season picture, the Colorado Avalanche stats and results page gives the bigger baseline.
The other reason Colorado is so playable is that it does not need one exact script to win. The power play was oddly mediocre by Avalanche standards during the regular season, but the five-on-five game has been dominant for long stretches and the team save percentage has held up behind it. That matters here because if Game 3 turns into another structured, playoff-style grind, Colorado has already shown it can live in that environment and still come out ahead.
In net, Scott Wedgewood still feels like the likeliest read, though Colorado has not exactly made that airtight and Mackenzie Blackwood remains a legitimate alternative. Wedgewood’s numbers are hard to ignore after a .921 save percentage regular season and a .945 mark after the Olympic break, so the Avalanche still carry a real edge in crease stability even if the final confirmation comes late. Colorado also looked much healthier entering this series, with Nazem Kadri and Josh Manson trending back into the picture, so this is a roster in better shape than it was a week ago. Availability still matters, so keep an eye on the Colorado Avalanche injury report before puck drop.
Los Angeles Kings Betting Form
The Kings’ case starts with structure, not firepower. This is still a defense-first team that prefers lower-event hockey, and that is a big part of why both games in Denver stayed so tight. Los Angeles has been able to block shots, close space, and keep the Avalanche from turning every shift into chaos. If you want the broader home and season context, the Los Angeles Kings schedule and stats page is a useful reference point.
The problem is that the even-strength offense has not followed. Panarin has scored both Kings goals in the series and both came on the power play. Since his arrival, Los Angeles has looked better offensively overall, and he did help lift both the scoring rate and power-play efficiency down the stretch, but the top line still has not generated enough at five-on-five through the first two games. That is the biggest issue in the handicap because if the Kings are living almost entirely on special teams, the margin for error stays tiny.
Home ice at least gives Los Angeles a different lever to pull. Smith gets last change now, and that should help him steer Panarin, Kopitar, and Kempe away from Colorado’s best matchup pair more often. That is probably the cleanest path to a real offensive jump in Game 3. With Kevin Fiala and Alex Turcotte still out according to the information provided, depth becomes more important, and that makes the Los Angeles Kings injury report worth checking right before the game.
Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings Matchup Breakdown
This matchup still starts with pace. Colorado wants long offensive-zone shifts, layered pressure, and enough shot volume to eventually crack structure. Los Angeles wants something much more controlled, a game that stays tight through the neutral zone and asks the Avalanche to be patient for 60 minutes. Through two games, the Kings have done enough to keep the scores close, but they have not done enough to consistently tilt the ice back the other way.
At five-on-five, Colorado has the more trustworthy profile, and for me that remains the biggest separator. The Avalanche were the better even-strength team all season and look more capable of creating repeat offense without needing whistles or broken-play luck. Los Angeles can still create a path with home matchups, but when one team is already up 2-0 and also holds the cleaner five-on-five edge, I am not eager to fade that just because the venue changed.
Special teams are where the Kings can make this more volatile. Panarin has already shown he can punish Colorado on the power play, and that gives Los Angeles some life if this game gets choppy. At the same time, Colorado’s own power play still carries enough talent to hurt a weaker penalty kill even if the regular-season percentage was not impressive. If you like betting from that angle, the NHL betting guide and the Stanley Cup betting guide both fit naturally into this type of playoff handicap.
Goaltending is the one area where there is still some late uncertainty, but not enough to flip my view of the matchup. Wedgewood has looked like Colorado’s best answer, Forsberg looked like Los Angeles’ hotter option entering the round, and neither side had much reason to overexpose that publicly too early. Even so, Colorado feels more stable because it has better insulation in front of the crease and more ways to control the game if the finish is not perfect.
Colorado Avalanche vs Los Angeles Kings Predictions and Best Bets
My main side lean is Colorado on the moneyline. The Avalanche are the better team, but more importantly they are the better five-on-five team, and that tends to matter most once a playoff series settles into its real shape. They have already won two games in a tighter script than many expected, which tells me they do not need a track meet to justify favorite status here. At around -160, that is a much easier bet to stomach than laying the puck line and asking for separation in another likely one-goal game deep into the third.
The total is more interesting. The market says 5.5, and I can see why there is still over interest because Colorado’s scoring ceiling is obviously real and Los Angeles should be in a better offensive position at home with last change. I just do not trust the Kings enough at even strength to make the over my strongest angle. There is a path to 4-2, yes, but there is also a very normal playoff path to 3-2 or even another 2-1 type finish if Colorado controls most of the territorial play and Los Angeles still struggles to finish outside the power play.
If you want a secondary lean, I would rather look toward Colorado moneyline plus a lighter over position than force a puck-line play. The Kings are good enough structurally to hang around, and Crypto.com Arena should help them play a cleaner matchup game. But I still come back to the same point: Colorado has more answers, more depth, and the stronger base game. In a series where the Avalanche already lead 2-0, I think paying for the superior side is still the sharper move than trying to get cute with an underdog bounce-back narrative.
Best Bet: Colorado Avalanche moneyline (-160).
NHL Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you are building out the full playoff card, today’s NHL picks are a strong starting point because they let you compare multiple opinions quickly, and the broader NHL game previews page helps when you want context across the whole board instead of isolating one game.
There is also real value in comparing different styles before you lock anything in. The handicapper leaderboard makes it easier to track performance over time, while the full page of top sports handicappers helps you sort through who fits your approach best.
And if you want a more aggressive card for the postseason, premium NHL picks are the cleanest next step. That gives readers a way to go beyond one free opinion and compare a full menu of NHL positions before the market moves.
