Utah Mammoth vs Colorado Avalanche

With Colorado riding a four-game winning streak and a 12-game heater at Ball Arena, the moneyline side is all about whether Utah’s recent 5-5 run in its last 10 can realistically dent the league’s top offense and one of its stingiest defenses in regulation. The Avalanche are driving play behind MacKinnon’s MVP-level production and a deep blue line led by Cale Makar, while Utah not only owns a far thinner roster but is also down Logan Cooley, whose absence weakens their center depth and transition game; Colorado’s only notable loss is Logan O’Connor, whose energy matters but doesn’t swing the matchup the way Cooley does. Historically, MacKinnon has feasted on this franchise dating back to its Arizona days, while Clayton Keller’s solid but not dominant production against Colorado hasn’t translated into many wins, and the current standings gap (59 points for Colorado vs 39 for Utah) underlines how far apart these clubs are even before midseason. At a steep price of -267, I’m backing the Avalanche moneyline for its very high win probability but only modest betting value, which earns this play a Grade B. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:53am

With Colorado averaging 4.03 goals for and just 2.17 against per game and Utah sitting at 3.05 for and 2.92 against, the baseline math already leans toward a game total north of the 6-goal number, especially in a controlled-change environment where Jared Bednar can hard-match his top line and offensive defensemen. The Avalanche have been piling up multi-goal wins at home and playing in high-event contests, while Utah’s recent results — 4-3 vs Winnipeg, 4-1 at Detroit, 5-4 at Pittsburgh, 5-3 vs Seattle — show a tendency toward open-ice hockey when they face higher-end skill, and their penalty kill, though solid, still gets stressed by elite power-play quarterbacks like Makar. Cooley’s injury slightly dings Utah’s scoring ceiling, but Keller, Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther can still finish enough chances that a Colorado offense this hot doesn’t have to carry the total by itself; combine that with the Avalanche’s strong but occasionally leaky PK and you get a realistic path to 4-2 or 5-2 type scorelines that cash an Over while still allowing a push at exactly six. At -115, I like Over 6 for a balance of probability and price, giving this total a Grade B. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:53am

Given Colorado’s average goal differential of nearly +2 per night and Utah’s almost break-even profile, the puckline question boils down to whether the Mammoth can keep this within one in a building where the Avalanche have strung together 12 straight wins and routinely tilt the ice in shot share and expected goals. MacKinnon’s track record of driving multi-point nights against this franchise and Makar’s ability to push pace from the back end often translate into runaway third periods, while Utah’s blue line — now leaning heavily on Mikhail Sergachev and Juuso Välimäki — can get exposed when score effects force them to chase the game. Cooley’s absence removes one of Utah’s better 5-on-5 play-drivers down the middle, which matters in altitude over 60 minutes, and although Keller and Schmaltz can certainly cash a counterpunch, the more likely script in a Central matchup with early playoff-seeding implications is Colorado pulling away late and turning a one-goal edge into an empty-net cover. At -1.5 (-100), the price is fair but not a steal given puckline variance, so I’m recommending Avalanche -1.5 with a Grade B-. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:53an