NHL Bet of the Week for April 6, 2023
The NHL is coming down the stretch and with the San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche battling it out with only the Avalanche having something to play for, they will square off this Thursday for the final time this year.
Avalanche’s Star Power
The Colorado Avalanche have dealt with injuries all year, but they are almost 100 percent healthy now and teams are starting to understand why they are the defending NHL Stanley Cup Champions.
A top line of Nathan Makinnon, Mikko Rantannen, and Valeri Nichushkin drives is one of the best in the league, and the second line of Alex Newhook, JT Compher, and Evan Rodriguez all are elite second line options.
Lastly, the defensive group of the Colorado Avalanche is second to none in the league, with Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and Bowen Byram being their top four is absolutely ridiculous.
Sharks Lack of Talent
The San Jose Sharks have traded most of the talent they had on this roster and it has resulted in an abysmal post trade deadline record. The Sharks also have nothing to play for while the Colorado Avalanche are still trying to win their division and home ice for the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The Sharks also have some interest in losing to help their chances in getting a higher draft pick which would result in a possibility of getting the best NHL prospect since Connor McDavid.
Overall, the only real talent the sharks have is Erik Karlsson, who is already in his late thirties and has to worry about future contracts, so he will still be looking to score, but it shouldn’t be enough to overcome the loaded Colorado Avalanche’s roster.
Previous Matchups
As this is the third and final time these teams will see each other this regular season, let’s look back at the first two matchups. The first final was the Colorado Avalanche winning 6-0, as they dominated the Sharks in every aspect of the game. The second matchup was the Colorado Avalanche winning 4-3 in OT.
This game will be played in San Jose, and I don’t see how that even will make a difference with the star power the Colorado Avalanche have. Especially with the Avalanche having something to play for, while the Sharks don’t.
The Avalanche are the measuring stick for most teams in the west as they are the defending NHL champs, and they will have this game circled as they look to get home ice in the first round of the playoffs.
Overall, this doesn’t look too good for the San Jose Sharks and you should take your money and place it on the Colorado Avalanche moneyline and celebrate your winnings come late Thursday night.
