Los Angeles opens the West First Round on the road against Colorado on Sunday, April 19, 2026. The market is pricing the Avalanche as a heavy favorite, with Colorado -250 on the moneyline and laying -1.5 on the puck line.
This matchup pairs a Colorado team that drove play all season (33.7 shots for per game, 26.1 shots against per game) against a Kings team that won games with defense and goaltending but scored only 2.68 goals per game.
From a standings lens, Colorado finished 1st in the Central at 55-16-11 (121 points). Los Angeles finished 4th in the Pacific at 35-27-20 (90 points).
Odds & Game Info
Here’s the current betting board for Kings vs. Avalanche (odds from BetOnline).
| Info | Details |
|---|---|
| Game time | 3:00 PM ET (April 19, 2026) |
| Arena | Ball Arena (Denver, CO) |
Odds as of 7:50 AM ET on April 17, 2026.
| Market | Los Angeles Kings | Colorado Avalanche |
|---|---|---|
| Spread (Puck Line) | +1.5 (-124) | -1.5 (+102) |
| Moneyline | +202 | -250 |
| Total (5.5) | Over 5.5 (-128) | Under 5.5 (+104) |
Team Stats
These per-game efficiency stats are season-long numbers.
| Team | Goals per game | Goals allowed per game | Power play % | Penalty kill % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Kings | 2.68 | 2.90 | 17.0% | 74.6% |
| Colorado Avalanche | 3.63 | 2.40 | 17.1% | 84.6% |
Recaps
Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles closed the regular season with a 3-2 record in its last five games, including a 3-1 loss at Calgary on April 16 and wins over Seattle (5-3), Edmonton (1-0), and Vancouver (4-1). The Kings were a low-event team all season: 2.68 goals for per game and 2.90 goals allowed per game, with only 28.0 shots for per game.
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado enters on a strong finish, winning four of its last five and shutting out Seattle 2-0 on April 16. On the season, the Avalanche combined top-end scoring (3.63 goals per game) with elite shot suppression (26.1 shots against per game) and a high-end penalty kill (84.6%), which is a clean recipe for playoff-style games at home.
Matchup Keys
- Shot volume gap: Colorado averaged 33.7 shots for per game vs. Los Angeles at 28.0, and the Avalanche allowed only 26.1 shots against per game.
- Special teams edge: Colorado’s PK (84.6%) vs. Los Angeles’ PP (17.0%) tilts away from the Kings making up ground via the man advantage.
- Scoring environment: Los Angeles played to a 2.68 GF/G profile, and Colorado allowed 2.40 GA/G. That combination supports a tighter total than Colorado’s raw offense suggests.
- Home/road reality: Colorado was 26-9-6 at home; Los Angeles was 20-10-11 on the road, so the Kings’ travel spot is not automatically a red flag, but the step up in opponent quality is real.
- Rest and travel: Both teams last played April 16. Colorado stays home; Los Angeles travels from Calgary to Denver with two full off days before Game 1.
Betting Trends
- Colorado is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games.
- Los Angeles is 6-2-2 in its last 10 games, but enters off consecutive losses (per its current streak).
- Colorado finished the season +99 in goal differential; Los Angeles finished -22.
- Colorado at home: 26-9-6.
- Los Angeles on the road: 20-10-11.
- Colorado allowed 2.40 goals per game and 26.1 shots against per game.
- Los Angeles scored 2.68 goals per game and generated 28.0 shots for per game.
- Both power plays were similar by percentage (Kings 17.0%, Avalanche 17.1%), making the more meaningful split Colorado’s PK advantage (84.6% vs. Kings 74.6%).
Best Bet
Under 5.5 (+104)
Los Angeles’ path to wins is usually a lower-scoring game, and its season-long profile (2.68 GF/G, 28.0 SF/G) doesn’t naturally push pace. Colorado is built to control games with shot share (33.7 SF/G, 26.1 SA/G) and defense (2.40 GA/G), which often keeps weaker offenses from creating enough volume to turn the game into a track meet. If the listed injury report holds into puck drop, that adds even more downside to a 6-goal game.
Predicted Score
Our computer projections model for this matchup predicts a final score of Colorado 3, Los Angeles 2.
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