The Avalanche will host the Kings in Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with first puck drop set for 3:00 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook, Colorado is a -278 Moneyline favorite, with the game’s total set at O/U 5.5 goals.
Here’s an Avalanche vs. Kings Game 1 prediction and pick for today’s NHL Playoffs action.
Avalanche vs. Kings Game 1 prediction, preview
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche enter this series as massive -450 favorites to advance to the second round. They’ve been a powerhouse for years, and they’re led by one of the best hockey players on the planet in Nathan MacKinnon. If MacKinnon is having an off game, the club has guys like Cale Makar, Martin Necas, and Artturi Lehkonen to help lighten the load. Oh, and Colorado finally has dependable goaltending between the tandem of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. It’s going to be very hard to slow down this Avs team, and their 18-7-2 record since the break had NHL fans saying they were in a “slump”.
What’s not to like about this team aside from its inconsistent power play, which ranked 27th in the NHL during the regular season? It’s hard to fathom a team as stacked as the Avalanche failing to take advantage of power play opportunities, but all is well when you rank first in the NHL in 5v5 goals per 60 and second in 5v5 Corsi%. No team has scored more goals across the past three seasons than Colorado, and now the club has finally found viable goaltending. Goaltending so viable that the Avalanche allowed the fewest 5v5 goals against per 60 in the NHL.
Los Angeles Kings
It’s gotta be tough being a Kings fan knowing that the Kings finally avoided a first-round matchup versus the Oilers, only to draw a matchup against the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche. Los Angeles barely squeaked into the postseason, and frankly, this team only got in because of the “loser point” format. The Kings had the same number of regulation wins as overtime losses (19) and a -22 goal differential, which ranks worst among all playoff teams. The whole world is backing the Avs in this series, and rightfully so. Still, this will be Anze Kopitar’s final season, and the club acquired Artemi Panarin at the deadline, so they won’t go out without a fight.
Panarin unsurprisingly led the club in points, with Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield rounding out the top three. The Kings couldn’t find offensive consistency whatsoever, ranking 27th in 5v5 goals per 60 and 25th in total 5v5 goals. Across their final 10 games, they went 6-2-2 while averaging 3.2 goals per game. The club will need that to carry over into the first round because it simply cannot keep up with Colorado if not. Los Angeles’ goaltending ranked second behind only Colorado in 5v5 goals against per 60, which should help keep the game somewhat within reach. One primary area to watch is the special-teams play, as the Kings field the third-worst penalty kill in the league, a perfect opportunity for the Avalanche to find life on their power play.
Avalanche vs. Kings Game 1 pick, best bet
A whopping 90% of the handle and 95% of the bets on DraftKings Sportsbook lie with the Avalanche on the Moneyline. The public is so confident in Colorado that it also holds 93% of the handle and 88% of the bets on the Puck Line -1.5, too. Usually, I’d stay away from a play that was backed this much by the public, but it makes sense in this situation.
Even if the goaltending matchup is a wash, the Kings have nobody near MacKinnon’s or Makar’s level. Panarin is a superstar, but he can’t do it all himself. Colorado sported the third-best home record in the NHL, and it will want to come out of the gates firing in front of its home crowd this afternoon. Give me the Avs on the Puck Line.
