The Colorado Avalanche have had as good of a start to the season as a team could hope for. The Avalanche are undefeated and have only allowed three goals in three games worth of action. Newly-minted head coach Patrick Roy’s squad was not expected to do much this year and was not really on anyone’s radar before the season began. But after three games, six points scored, and an excellent display on the defensive end, the team just might be a playoff contender after all.

The Boston Bruins, on the other hand, are coming off of an extremely disappointing loss in the Stanley Cup Finals and are set on returning to the playoffs and making another deep run. Boston is a team that is on everyone’s radar, and a win over the defending Eastern Conference Champion Bruins is a big win for most teams in the East. Both squads are still undefeated in this still-very-young NHL season, and each team already has an impressive win underneath its belt. Let’s take a closer look at tonight’s matchup between the Avalanche and the Bruins.

Avalanche at Bruins Betting Story Lines

Colorado beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-1 during its season opener, which was overshadowed by Roy’s outburst at the end of the game that cost him $10,000 in fines. The Avalanche then went on to defeat the Nashville Predators, 3-1, and the Toronto Maple Leafs, 2-1. The jury is still out on how good of a coach Hall of Fame-goalie Roy will be, but the early indication is that at minimum he will be the type of leader that exudes passion and intensity—two qualities that get a team ready to play every night.

The Boston Bruins have also started out the season on a solid note with two victories and only two goals allowed. The Bruins defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning, 3-1, and the Detroit Red Wings, 4-1. The team is again expected to be a major contender in the East and challenge the Pittsburgh Penguins for supremacy of the Conference. The season is still very young, but Boston has already shown improvement in two areas where the team struggled last season—the third line and power plays. Head coach Claude Julien and his staff believe that the Bruins are ready to bring home a Stanley Cup title and are not resting on last year’s achievements. The team is still looking to improve in as many areas as it can.

The Avalanche are in the middle of a three-game road trip with a day’s worth of rest in between each matchup, so fatigue will probably not be an issue this early in the season. The Bruins have a light schedule to open the year as well and have not played in four days. They will alternate road and home games over the next four days.

Avalanche at Bruins NHL Betting Odds and Key Trends

Boston opened as a -170 moneyline favorite at BookMaker, while the underdog Avalanche is receiving +145 moneyline odds. The total opened at 5.5 goals, and the “over” is the favorite with a -125 vig at Sportsbook.ag and CarbonSports. However, BookMaker has the over listed as a slight underdog and is receiving a positive payout of +105. For those bettors thinking about taking the over, there will be extra value to be had by wagering on it at BookMaker.

Colorado is 14-5 against Eastern Conference opponents over its last 19 games but are only 3-7 following a win over their last 10 games. The Bruins are 9-2 during their last 11 home games, which is a trend that will probably continue this season as Boston has been a very good home team during the last few years. However, the Avalanche have dominated the recent matchups between the two teams as Colorado is 6-0-1 during the last seven games in Boston and 10-4-1 during the last 15 overall meetings. Perhaps the most telling stat is that the road team is 5-0 during the last five times these teams have played each other.

Free NHL Picks: Avalanche at Bruins Betting Predictions

Boston, as we all know, is a very good team that excels on offense and is extremely disciplined on defense. The team has worked to improve a few of its areas of weakness and feel that they are a good enough team to win a title. The Avalanche are in more of a volatile situation as most NHL experts do not expect much from the team who is being lead by rookie head coach Patrick Roy. However, there is definite value on the Avalanche at +145 on the road.

Boston has not played since last Saturday, and even though they are the better team, this is a situation that is ripe for an upset. Colorado has a new and passionate coach that has already infused his team with a rush of energy and excitement for the new season—after breaking down the glass between benches because of a non-call against one of his players. Expect the Avalanche to come ready to play and possibly take advantage of a relaxed Boston squad that has been at home over the last four days. Colorado has an excellent chance to pull of the upset. But if you are worried about taking the underdog straight up, a bet on the puckline would also be an excellent way to earn some money on this matchup without risking too much.

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Read more articles by George Monroy