Free Pick: Kings vs. Avalanche Odds
Looking for Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche free NHL predictions? NHL betting sees the Kings taking on the Avalanche on 9/30 at Ball Arena, in Colorado. This free NHL pick is based on matchup analysis and documented handicapping data tracked by CappersPicks since 2004, with a focus on identifying the strongest betting angle for this Kings Avalanche matchup.
2026 NHL Handicapping – Los Angeles Kings vs Colorado Avalanche
Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche
Date: Sep 30, 2026
Time: 10:00 PM ET
Venue: Ball Arena in Colorado, CO
NHL Moneyline Odds: Kings +164 | Avalanche -193 (Bet Now!)
Today’s NHL Puck Line Betting Odds: Kings +1.5 | Avalanche -1.5
NHL Hockey Gambling Total: O/U: 6.5
Here’s why I’m backing an OVER bet below in my Kings Avalanche free pick & gambling prediction for this matchup.
Kings vs. Avalanche Gameday
The Los Angeles Kings open the 2026-27 regular season Wednesday against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:00 PM ET on TNT.
Peter Laviolette makes his Kings coaching debut after taking over during the offseason. Los Angeles finished preseason play 2-2, dropping its first two before beating Anaheim twice to close the schedule.
The Kings saved their best exhibition performance for last.
They beat Anaheim 6-2 in the finale, with Alex Turcotte scoring twice. Drew Doughty, now wearing the captain’s “C” following Anze Kopitar’s retirement, finished with three assists.
Colorado swept Los Angeles last spring, so Laviolette gets a pretty convenient measuring stick on opening night.
Colorado also went 2-2 during preseason play under Jared Bednar. The Avalanche beat Winnipeg 5-2 before closing with a 2-0 loss to Utah.
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Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche Odds & Last 5
The opening odds have Colorado favored at -193, with Los Angeles returning +164. The Avalanche are +129 laying 1.5 goals, while the opening total is 6.5.
Los Angeles found its offense late in preseason. The Kings followed a 2-1 victory at Anaheim with that 6-2 win in the rematch, scoring eight goals across their final two exhibitions.
Colorado had its own offensive outburst against Winnipeg.
T.J. Hughes scored a hat trick in the 5-2 victory and played his way onto the opening roster. Jaden Schwartz also scored and added an assist in that win.
The matchup history belongs to Colorado. The Avalanche swept Los Angeles in four games during last spring’s opening playoff round after also taking all three regular-season meetings.
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Avalanche Stats
Colorado scored 10 goals during its four-game preseason, with Hughes producing three goals and two assists. The rookie earned an opening-night roster spot after making a strong impression throughout camp.
Schwartz and Nazem Kadri are also part of a deep Colorado forward group built around Nathan MacKinnon. MacKinnon led the NHL with 53 goals last season and finished with 127 points.
That’s a lot of firepower before getting to Cale Makar.
Colorado was dominant at Ball Arena last season, winning 26 home games while allowing only 2.54 goals per game there. The Avalanche ultimately finished with 121 points and the Presidents’ Trophy.
Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood return as Colorado’s goaltending tandem. Wedgewood led the NHL with a 2.02 GAA and .921 save percentage last season, while Blackwood went 23-10-2 with a 2.51 GAA.
Kings Stats
Los Angeles scored 13 goals across four preseason games, including eight during its final two victories over Anaheim. Turcotte finished the finale with two goals, while Doughty collected three assists.
The Kings’ attack has a different look entering Laviolette’s first season.
Artemi Panarin begins his first full campaign in Los Angeles after producing 27 points in 26 games following last season’s trade. Mats Zuccarello and Erik Haula were also added during the offseason.
Adrian Kempe remains one of the constants. He led Los Angeles with 36 goals and 73 points last season, while Quinton Byfield added 24 goals.
Kevin Fiala opens the season on injured reserve, so the new additions matter immediately.
Darcy Kuemper and Anton Forsberg return in goal. Forsberg finished last season 16-12-5 with a 2.57 GAA and .909 save percentage, while Kuemper went 19-14-15 with a 2.78 GAA.
Kings vs. Avalanche Goalie Matchup
Colorado has two legitimate options in Wedgewood and Blackwood after the tandem helped the Avalanche allow the fewest goals in the NHL last season. Wedgewood owned the stronger numbers, but Colorado has enough depth to avoid forcing the issue with either goalie.
Los Angeles has a similar decision with Forsberg and Kuemper.
Forsberg started all four playoff games against Colorado last spring after earning more work late in the season. Kuemper remains an experienced option if Laviolette decides to go the other way.
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Until the teams make their opening-night decisions official, there isn’t much reason to turn a projected goalie into a confirmed one.
The bigger issue for Los Angeles is dealing with Colorado’s waves of offense. MacKinnon, Makar and Necas headline a group that led the NHL in scoring last season, while the Kings are trying to create more offense under Laviolette.
Colorado has already shown it can control this matchup.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche bottom line: Colorado brings the deeper offense and last spring’s sweep into opening night, while a reworked Kings attack gets an immediate chance to show it can make this matchup considerably less comfortable.
Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche Hockey Betting Trends
- Colorado won 2 of their last 4 preseason games in 2026.
- Additionally, Los Angeles won 3 of their last 4 preseason games in 2026.
- In their last 4 games, the Avalanche scored a total of 10 goals.
- The Kings scored a total of 13 goals in their last 4 games.
- In their last 4 games, the Avalanche’s games went over 5 goals twice.
- Also, the Kings’ games went over 5 goals three times in their last 4 games.
Kings Avalanche Free Pick: Over 6.5
Here is my Kings Avalanche free pick: I’m backing Over 6.5.
Colorado had the NHL’s highest-scoring offense last season, and MacKinnon, Makar and Necas are a nasty assignment before we even get to the rest of this lineup. The Avalanche can do plenty of the heavy lifting on this total themselves.
Los Angeles is more interesting offensively than it was a year ago. Panarin gets his first full season with the Kings, while Zuccarello and Haula add more options around Kempe and Byfield.
Colorado can push the pace at Ball Arena, and this Kings attack has more ways to answer than it did last season.
The concern is obvious: Colorado was excellent defensively last season and swept Los Angeles in April. But opening night can be a different animal, and both teams showed enough preseason offense to make 6.5 reachable.
I’m betting on skill winning out over early-season structure. My NHL betting system tells me to bet small on the Over 6.5.
Today’s NHL Free Pick
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Colorado Avalanche on X
The Goal Remains The Same | Peak Access
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— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 29, 2026
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