Winnipeg Jets @ Colorado Avalanche - December 31, 2024

As the Winnipeg Jets prepare to face off against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena, this matchup promises to be a thrilling encounter between two division rivals. With both teams currently on four-game winning streaks, the stakes are high and the atmosphere should be electric.

Oddsmakers have opened with Colorado as -143 moneyline favorites, reflecting their recent form. However, it’s worth noting that the Jets have been exceptional lately, boasting a record of 27-10-1 SU and going 4-1 ATS in their last five games. They’ve demonstrated an impressive ability to score, averaging 3.703 goals per game with a robust power play percentage of 32.5%. This offensive efficiency could pose challenges for Colorado’s defense.

The Avalanche come into this game with solid offensive numbers of their own—averaging 3.351 goals per game—but they may find it difficult to contain Winnipeg’s scoring prowess. Their shooting percentage stands at 11.8%, which is slightly lower than what we see from the Jets (12.8%). When we consider Corsi percentages—an indicator of puck possession—the Jets lag behind at 48.6% compared to Colorado’s more favorable figure of 53%. However, given that Winnipeg has shown resilience in recent outings and is riding high on confidence after a convincing win against Nashville, they could very well cover the spread despite being underdogs.

Defensively, both teams have had their strengths but also vulnerabilities. The Jets boast an impressive save percentage of 91.8%, making them one of the tougher teams to score against in recent weeks; conversely, Colorado has a respectable save rate of 87.9%. The penalty kill stats show slight advantages for both sides: Winnipeg sits at 78.64% while Colorado trails closely at 77.55%.

Given these statistics and trends leading into Tuesday’s matchup, I predict that while Colorado may edge out a victory due to home-ice advantage and overall team depth—especially considering their strong performance in recent games—they might not cover the spread if Winnipeg continues its current scoring form.

Moreover, looking at totals betting trends indicates that both teams have leaned towards unders recently; specifically, four out of Colorado’s last five games have gone UNDER total points scored alongside similar trends for Winnipeg in their latest matchups as well.

In conclusion, I expect a tightly contested battle where every goal will count significantly toward determining who comes out on top by night’s end—a likely scenario where Colorado secures victory but fails to cover the spread as Winnipeg holds firm defensively while capitalizing on power plays effectively enough to keep it close with an expected total below seven goals combined.