Sportsbooks across the board heavily favor the Colorado Avalanche over the Los Angeles Kings in their Western Conference first-round matchup, with every major betting line pointing toward a triumphant Colorado series win.
The Colorado Avalanche enter the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs chasing something the NHL hasn’t seen in over a decade: a Presidents’ Trophy winner finishing the job with a Stanley Cup. The last team to pull it off was the Chicago Blackhawks—and that’s the kind of company this Colorado roster believes it belongs in.
Colorado didn’t just have a great year—they controlled the league. A 121-point campaign was the best in franchise history. That's really all that needs to be said there.
At the center of it all was Nathan MacKinnon, who delivered a defining season. His 53 goals not only led the NHL but earned him his first-ever Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy, adding another layer to an already elite résumé. Meanwhile, Cale Makar piled up 79 points while anchoring the blue line. It won't be good enough for a third Norris Trophy, but he's still one of the best players in the world.
And then there’s the difference-maker Colorado hasn’t always had in recent postseasons: stability in net. Scott Wedgewood quietly put together one of the best goaltending seasons in the league, leading the NHL with a 2.02 goals-against average—exactly the kind of reliability that can swing a playoff series.
The First Test: Los Angeles
Standing in the way is the Los Angeles Kings, a team that made the playoffs without much margin for error. Their 90-point season was enough to sneak in, but it came with clear limitations—especially offensively.
Where L.A. hangs its hat is structure. They finished among the league’s better defensive teams, allowing the seventh-fewest goals. But scoring? That’s been the issue all year. Only one player, Adrian Kempe, cracked the 50-point mark.
The Kings will need to lean heavily on Darcy Kuemper, who brings playoff experience—including a Cup run with Colorado—to even the playing field.
If you’re looking for optimism from the Kings’ perspective, the regular-season matchups don’t offer much. Colorado swept all three meetings, outscoring L.A. 13–5 without allowing even an overtime point
Colorado has continuity with Jared Bednar, one of the league’s longest-tenured coaches, guiding a veteran core that knows how to win.
The Kings, meanwhile, are navigating the postseason with interim coach D.J. James, who did stabilize things late (11-6-6 finish), but this is still a team finding its identity under pressure.
Series Odds
Every major sportsbook is leaning heavily in the same direction—but each one prices the series slightly differently.
Across DraftKings, the Avalanche are listed at -450, making them strong favorites, while the Kings sit at +340 as a long-shot underdog.
At FanDuel, Colorado is even more heavily favored at -530, with Los Angeles priced at +390, reflecting a similar expectation that the Avalanche should advance.
Caesars is the most aggressive on Colorado, listing them at -600, the steepest favorite number among the books, while the Kings come in at +450, signaling a major underdog status.
Meanwhile, BetMGM mirrors DraftKings closely, with the Avalanche at -450 and the Kings at +350.
Avalanche "Should" Win
There’s always temptation to chase the underdog in a playoff series—but this one feels different.
Colorado checks every box: elite scoring, suffocating defense, playoff experience, and now, dependable goaltending. The so-called “Presidents’ Trophy curse” lingers, but history suggests if it strikes, it usually doesn’t happen this early.
For Los Angeles to flip this series, they’d need to play near-perfect defensive hockey and get a vintage performance from Kuemper—while somehow manufacturing offense against one of the league’s best defensive teams.
That’s a tall task.
It would seem that the Avalanche are destined to dominate their first round series, but we've seen upsets before. It's up to Colorado to find a way and get overthrow the monarchs.
