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Minnesota (0-0) at Colorado (0-0)
- When: May 3 2026, 9:00 PM
- Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO, USA
- TV: TNT
Minnesota vs Colorado NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Colorado -200
Spread: Colorado -1.5 (+133)
Total: 6.0
Minnesota Wild: Cinderella Run Continues?
So the Minnesota Wild finally broke the curse. First playoff series win since 2015, champagne popped, hugs everywhere, fans emotional… and the reward? Oh nothing big, just facing the best team in hockey. Congrats.
This team deserves respect though. Kirill Kaprizov dropped 89 points this season with 45 goals, and Quinn Hughes is basically running the blue line like it’s his own personal chessboard. They’ve got skill, confidence, and just enough chaos energy to make this uncomfortable.
But here’s the problem. Injuries. Jonas Brodin is out, Joel Eriksson Ek might not be 100 percent, and suddenly that depth starts looking a little thin.
Reality Check: You just climbed a mountain… and now someone hands you Everest. Good luck.
Colorado Avalanche: Depth Overload Activated
The Colorado Avalanche are sitting there rested, relaxed, and probably laughing watching everyone else fight for their lives. Presidents’ Trophy winners, 121 points, and they just casually swept their last series like it was a warm-up skate.
Nathan MacKinnon scored 53 goals and 127 points because apparently defense is optional when he’s on the ice. Then you’ve got Martin Necas putting up 100 points like it’s normal, and a third line that could start for half the league. That’s not depth, that’s overkill.
Gabriel Landeskog, Nazem Kadri, and Nicolas Roy are out here scoring like they’re tired of being called a third line. Meanwhile, Cale Makar just casually controls the entire game from the back end.
Reality Check: When your third line is better than most teams’ first line, that’s not fair. That’s illegal in at least three countries.
NHL Playoffs Betting Prediction
Colorado sits at -200 and puckline -1.5 (+133) with a total of 6.0, and honestly, that price feels justified. They’re deeper, fresher, and playing at home. Minnesota has momentum, but momentum doesn’t block MacKinnon.
The Wild will compete. They always do. They’ve already proven they can hang in tight games, and history says underdogs have had success in this matchup. But this version of Colorado is not the one you sneak past easily.
Expect Minnesota to keep it close early, maybe even steal a period. Then Colorado’s depth kicks in, waves of pressure, and suddenly it looks like survival mode.
Goaltending keeps it respectable, but talent wins out.
Score Prediction: Avalanche 4, Wild 2
Pick: Colorado -1.5 (+133)
Total: Over 5.5 Alt Lines (-135)
- NHL Playoffs Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
