Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Game 1: Prediction & Best Bets

The Western Conference Finals are set to begin on Wednesday night as the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche hit the ice. These teams have grinded their way here and now have the chance to book their place in the Stanley Cup Finals as the best team in the West.

Ball Arena in Denver will be rocking for Game 1 as the crowd tries to energize their Avalanche and create an intimidating atmosphere for the visiting Golden Knights.

Who will set the tone in this crucial Game 1 showdown in the NHL Playoffs?

Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Game 1 betting picks and predictions

Colorado Avalanche ML (-185)

Throughout the entire season, the Colorado Avalanche have shown a consistent dominance that no other team has been able to match. The NHL Playoffs have seen the exact same trend play out as they boast an 8-1 record. They come into this one as heavy favorites for a reason, as Vegas has not shown this same levl or consistency.

Colorado has also been an elite home team since the beginning of the regular season, posting a 26-9-6 record in the regular season. In the playoffs the Avs have gone a perfect 5-0 and will be determined to continue this.

Jared Bednar's men have shown specific success against Vegas in recent history. Since November of 2024, the Avalanche own a 4-0-1 record over the Golden Knights. The playoffs is a whole different beast, but this recent success should instill an added confidence that they can handle this team as they have been doing already.

Avalanche star Cale Makar’s status remains unclear, but Vegas is facing some key injuries as well with captain Mark Stone and Jeremy Lauzon set to miss Game 1. Colorado is extremely deep, so in the event of Makar missing this game, I see no concern.

Nathan MacKinnon most shots on goal (+190)

Nathan MacKinnon has been an absolute beast these playoffs, as expected. He has an admirable 13 points in 9 games, but the stats don’t show his ability to take over games and own every shift.

MacKinnon is known as a constant shooter, and has played up to this during the playoffs. He has gathered 4+ shots in 4 of his last 5 games, including 9 shots in their series-winning Game 6 against the Wild.

Of the players left in these playoffs, MacKinnon is second in the NHL with 36 shots, averaging nearly 4.0 shots per game, but it is worth noting he has played five games fewer than leader Juraj Slafkovsky (40) . The Avs center also led the NHL in shots this season with 350.

He averages 21:16 of play per game, which ranks fifth among all forwards remaining in the playoffs. MacKinnon will be shot out of a cannon in Game 1, looking to set the tone and help lead his team to further success.

Nazem Kadri over 0.5 points (-130)

Trade deadline acquisition Nazem Kadri has worked out like a dream for Colorado thus far. This is Kadri’s second tenure with Colorado, and after winning the 2021/22 Stanley Cup in his most-recent season with them, he has picked up the same success immediately.

Kadri has produced 9 points in 16 games in his regular season appearance with the team, along with an even better rate in the playoffs with 6 points in 9 games. He is an excellent two-way player that Vegas will need to add to a long list of players to contain.

Kadri was quiet in the series-clinching, 4-3 Game 5 win against the Minnesota Wild, but he looks likely to return to the scoresheet. On home ice and full of enthusiasm to kick the series off with a bang, I see Nazem Kadri joining in on the offensive front with at least 1 point.

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Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Game 1 odds

Golden Knights	+160
Avalanche	-190
Puck Line	COL Avalanche -1.5
Total	O/U 6.0

Golden Knights vs. Avalanche Game 1 player props

Anytime goalscorer

Nathan MacKinnon (Avalanche)	-110
Martin Necas (Avalanche)	+150
Jack Eichel (Golden Knights)	+210
Pavel Dorofeyev (Golden Knights)	+210
Mitch Marner (Golden Knights)	+210
Gabriel Landeskog (Avalanche)	+245

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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.