Match Result
Dallas Stars
Colorado Avalanche
WinnerNext Match
The Stars are the pick to win 3-2 in Dallas on 13 October, while the Avalanche are the pick to win 4-3 in Denver on 14 October. Recent Dallas defensive control supports the first forecast; Colorado’s attacking depth and home matchup opportunities support the return preference. Compare NHL Odds for moneyline and puck-line selections, which cover different outcomes.
Our Prediction
Stars vs Avalanche October Predictions
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Stars vs Avalanche Predictions for Both Meetings
The predictions are Stars 3-2 in Dallas and Avalanche 4-3 in Denver. Dallas’s recent defensive control underpins the first selection, while Colorado’s attacking depth and home matchup opportunities support the return preference. Both forecasts use the same pre-match results, with goaltending assessed separately for each meeting.
13 October Prediction: Stars to Win the Dallas Meeting
The Stars are the selection to beat the Avalanche 3-2 in regulation in Dallas on 13 October. Their recent defensive control supports the home preference. The key tactical requirement is to contain Colorado’s transition attack while creating sustained offensive pressure, with Oettinger’s recent form strengthening the assessment if he starts.
The Current Performances Behind the Winner Choice
The Stars scored 10 and conceded two in official final scores across their latest three games. Only one concession occurred during regulation or overtime. The Avalanche scored 12 and conceded 12 across theirs.
The home preference rests on limiting transition chances rather than matching the visitors in an open contest. Pittsburgh’s shootout award does not enter Oettinger’s ordinary save percentage. The recent goalie evidence directly supports this forecast only when he starts.
The H2H Evidence Behind the Winner Choice
Last season’s evenly split league meetings support a close-margin view more clearly than a winner streak. The latest encounter in Dallas was an Avalanche regulation shutout.
Three shootouts keep a tied regulation finish relevant, but that remains an alternative to the selected home regulation result. The record supports caution about a large winning margin rather than confidence in a one-sided game.
Expected Score and the Key On-Ice Battle
Predicted score: Stars 3, Avalanche 2, in regulation. The key contest is Dallas defensive spacing against MacKinnon’s speed, Nečas’s support and Makar’s movement.
An Avalanche 3-2 win is the leading opposite-winner possibility. A 2-2 regulation draw could also lead to a Stars moneyline win later, while losing a Stars regulation selection. Clean exits and pressure around the visiting net are central to the home forecast.
14 October Prediction: Avalanche to Win the Denver Meeting
The Avalanche are the selection to beat the Stars 4-3 in Denver on 14 October. Colorado’s attacking depth and home matchup opportunities underpin the return preference. The key contest is sustained pressure against Dallas’s defensive structure, with the actual goaltending matchup assessed separately rather than assuming a favourable backup assignment.
The Current Performances Behind the Winner Choice
The same pre-match form applies until the opener supplies new information. Colorado’s 26 goals in five games show attacking depth, while Dallas’s recent containment remains the main counterargument.
Goaltending is a separate part of the Denver assessment for both teams. Evaluate the starting matchup alongside Colorado’s home attacking preference. Oettinger’s recent statistics support an Oettinger-specific assessment; they do not describe DeSmith’s performance or establish that Colorado gains an advantage simply from facing another goalie.
The H2H Evidence Behind the Winner Choice
The two Denver league meetings in the selected record ended as Dallas shootout wins. Colorado’s home preference therefore rests on present attacking roles and matchup opportunities, not an established home-winning streak.
Bednar’s last change offers deployment advantages after stoppages, while Gulutzan retains ways to adjust the Stars’ coverage. The historical closeness supports a narrow return forecast and a meaningful Dallas alternative.
Expected Score and the Key On-Ice Battle
Predicted score: Avalanche 4, Stars 3. The main contest is sustained Colorado pressure against Dallas’s defensive spacing after the short turnaround.
Both teams travel from Dallas to Denver, so travel and altitude are not treated as proven one-sided advantages. A Stars 3-2 victory is the leading alternative. Final goalie choices, workload and first-game availability changes determine whether the initial return preference should be retained.
What Strengths Can the Stars Use Across Both Meetings?
Defensive control is the Stars’ clearest strength entering both matches. This shared assessment uses their 2-2-1 record and availability reports before the first meeting. Glen Gulutzan leads the bench, having replaced Pete DeBoer in July 2025.
Dallas scored nine goals in shutout wins over the Sharks and Sabres, then earned a point through Seguin’s late equaliser in Pittsburgh. Rantanen, Robertson, Hintz and Johnston provide several scoring routes. Three of five outings produced one goal or fewer, making clean exits and sustained net-front pressure important alongside the defensive improvement.
Stars Recent Form: Wins, Losses and Scoring Patterns
The Stars enter the meetings with two wins and a shootout loss from their latest three games. Their defensive results are stronger than their uneven early-season scoring record.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Final score, Stars first | Result |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Penguins | Away | 1-2 | Shootout loss |
| 8 Oct 2026 | Sabres | Away | 4-0 | Regulation win |
| 5 Oct 2026 | Sharks | Home | 5-0 | Regulation win |
| 3 Oct 2026 | Predators | Away | 1-2 | Regulation loss |
| 2 Oct 2026 | Blues | Home | 0-4 | Regulation loss |
The latest three official scores show 10 goals scored and two conceded. Pittsburgh’s deciding shootout award accounts for one concession, leaving only one goal allowed during regulation and overtime. Across all five games, Dallas scored 11 and conceded eight during play, or nine in the official final scores.
Stars Players and Availability for Both Meetings
Rantanen, Robertson, Hintz and Johnston lead the Stars’ attacking assessment. The injury report before the Pittsburgh game listed Duchene and Kiviranta with lower-body injuries. The personnel table below provides the shared reference for both previews, with scoring depth and defensive roles assessed separately from player availability.
Faksa returned to Dallas as a free agent in July 2025. Myers joined from Vancouver in March 2026. Both belong in the Stars roster assessment. Seguin scored against Pittsburgh after returning from a knee injury, adding another finishing option. Kyle Capobianco was the listed scratch.
Stars Attacking Personnel and Defensive Roles
Johnston, Rantanen, Robertson and Hintz provide the main scoring focus for the Stars preview, with Steel, Benn and Seguin adding attacking options. Heiskanen, Lindell and Harley feature prominently in the defensive assessment. The table groups the personnel discussed across both meetings without assigning matchday line numbers.
| Personnel | Focus in the preview |
| Sam Steel, Wyatt Johnston and Mikko Rantanen | Attacking personnel |
| Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz and Jamie Benn | Additional scoring personnel |
| Justin Hryckowian, Arttu Hyry and Tyler Seguin | Supporting forward personnel |
| Oskar Bäck, Radek Faksa and Colin Blackwell | Additional forward options |
| Esa Lindell and Miro Heiskanen | Defensive personnel |
| Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist | Additional defensive personnel |
| Lian Bichsel and Tyler Myers | Additional defensive options |
Rantanen’s puck retention helps establish longer attacks, while Heiskanen’s exits reduce repeated defensive shifts. Those roles matter in either arena. Player returns and coaching selection, rather than the date alone, determine changes to the lower lines.
Stars Goaltending Options for Consecutive Nights
Oettinger and DeSmith are the Stars’ goaltending options. Oettinger’s recent performance provides the goalie-based support for the Dallas forecast. Assess the Denver starter separately: Oettinger’s save percentage describes his own performance and should not be used as a statistical measure of DeSmith.
Oettinger made 13 saves against the Sharks, 26 against the Sabres and 19 against Pittsburgh. That totals 58 saves on 59 shots during play, a .983 save percentage excluding shootout attempts. His recent performance supports the Dallas preference without automatically describing the expected output of another goalie.
What Strengths Can the Avalanche Use Across Both Meetings?
Attacking depth is the Avalanche’s main strength across both matches. The shared profile uses a 3-2-0 record, 26 goals scored and 17 conceded before the first meeting. Jared Bednar’s team brings several scoring threats but has also allowed opponents room to attack.
MacKinnon, Nečas and Lehkonen lead the attack, with Landeskog, Nelson and Kadri supplying another experienced unit. Makar and Toews create from defence. NHL Betting selections involving individual production remain separate from the team winner: a player can record points in defeat, while home ice changes matchup opportunities rather than guaranteeing a different result.
Avalanche Recent Form: Wins, Losses and Scoring Patterns
Colorado scored 12 and conceded 12 across its latest three games. A seven-goal Calgary win came between defeats to Winnipeg and Toronto.
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Final score, Avalanche first | Result |
| 10 Oct 2026 | Maple Leafs | Home | 3-6 | Regulation loss |
| 8 Oct 2026 | Flames | Away | 7-3 | Regulation win |
| 7 Oct 2026 | Jets | Away | 2-3 | Regulation loss |
| 3 Oct 2026 | Blues | Home | 6-1 | Regulation win |
| 30 Sep 2026 | Kings | Home | 8-4 | Regulation win |
The 5.2-goal scoring average across five games is influenced by the eight-goal opener and seven-goal Calgary result. Six concessions in the latest defeat underline defensive exposure. Dallas presents a strong recent containment test, while the return gives Colorado more control over matchups after stoppages.
Avalanche Players and Availability for Both Meetings
MacKinnon, Nečas and Makar lead the attacking assessment, with Nelson and Kadri providing additional scoring options. The injury report before the Toronto game listed no injured players. O’Connor was away from the team following a family bereavement. This is the availability information used for the shared pre-match assessment.
Avalanche Attacking Personnel and Defensive Roles
MacKinnon, Nečas and Lehkonen provide the main attacking focus for the Avalanche preview, with Landeskog, Nelson and Kadri adding scoring depth. Toews and Makar feature prominently in the defensive assessment. Their transition play, puck movement and offensive support shape the analysis of Colorado’s meetings with Dallas.
| Personnel | Focus in the preview |
| Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Nečas | Main attacking personnel |
| Gabriel Landeskog, Brock Nelson and Nazem Kadri | Additional scoring personnel |
| Jaden Schwartz, Fedor Svechkov and T.J. Hughes | Supporting forward personnel |
| Parker Kelly, Nicolas Roy and Zachary L’Heureux | Additional forward options |
| Devon Toews and Cale Makar | Leading defensive personnel |
| Brett Kulak and Sam Malinski | Additional defensive personnel |
| Josh Manson and Brent Burns | Experienced defensive options |
MacKinnon’s carries and Makar’s movement challenge the Stars in both venues. Home last change in Denver helps Bednar seek favourable matchups after stoppages, although it does not eliminate Gulutzan’s deployment adjustments.
Avalanche Goaltending Options for Consecutive Nights
Blackwood and Wedgewood are the Avalanche’s goaltending options. Assess Colorado’s starting matchup alongside Dallas’s rather than treating rotation as an advantage for only one team. The return-game analysis should account for each starter’s performance and workload.
Blackwood made 17 saves in the Toronto defeat, while Wedgewood stopped all 17 Stars shots in April’s 2-0 victory in Dallas. These results provide separate performance references: one concerns Colorado’s latest defeat, and the other concerns its most recent meeting with the Stars.
Stars vs Avalanche Head To Head: Scores, Venues and Winning Margins
The Stars won three of the five meetings listed. The four regular-season encounters in 2025/26 were split two apiece, with three decided in shootouts. This remains the historical record before either upcoming October match.
Two 5-4 finishes, a 2-1 shootout and a 2-0 shutout demonstrate the range of scoring outcomes. The Game Seven result completes the sample. A close margin does not always indicate a low total, and the older results do not establish current player thresholds by themselves.
| Date | Competition | Venue | Stars | Avalanche | Winner | Decision |
| 4 Apr 2026 | Regular season | Dallas | 0 | 2 | Avalanche | Regulation |
| 18 Mar 2026 | Regular season | Denver | 2 | 1 | Stars | Shootout |
| 6 Mar 2026 | Regular season | Dallas | 4 | 5 | Avalanche | Shootout |
| 11 Oct 2025 | Regular season | Denver | 5 | 4 | Stars | Shootout |
| 3 May 2025 | Playoffs, Game 7 | Dallas | 4 | 2 | Stars | Regulation |
4 April 2026: Wedgewood Shuts Out the Stars
The Avalanche won 2-0 as Wedgewood stopped all 17 shots. Nečas scored and assisted MacKinnon’s empty-net finish. Both goals arrived in the third period, providing a low-scoring reference without settling the current goalie choices.
18 March 2026: Johnston Decides the Shootout
The Stars won 2-1 after Johnston scored the only shootout goal. Oettinger made 33 saves through overtime. The playing periods ended 1-1; the deciding team award is part of the final score, not an ordinary player goal.
6 March 2026: The Avalanche Equalise Late
Colorado won 5-4 in a shootout after Nichushkin equalised with 15 seconds left. Nečas and Nichushkin converted in the deciding contest. Eight goals during play accompanied a close margin, separating handicap reasoning from a low-total assumption.
11 October 2025: The Stars Win in Denver
Dallas won 5-4 in a shootout after each side scored four during play. It was one of three regulation draws in that season’s league meetings, keeping overtime within the alternative outcomes for the new matches.
3 May 2025: Rantanen Leads the Game Seven Comeback
Dallas scored four unanswered third-period goals to win 4-2. Rantanen supplied three goals and assisted Johnston’s winner. He scored at 7:49 and 13:46, assisted at 16:04, then completed his hat-trick into an empty net at 19:57.
Stars vs Avalanche Betting Markets Across Both Matches
The main selections are moneyline, plus 1.5 puck line and full-game totals. Period, scoring-sequence and player selections are secondary preferences. Their outcomes depend on details beyond the final-score forecast, so each should be assessed separately rather than combined automatically.
For users who know how to bet on ice hockey, start with the covered playing periods and settlement rules. Each market below has a separate preference for each date. The choices are alternatives rather than a combined ticket, and the thresholds are suggested comparisons rather than quoted live prices.
Moneyline
Moneyline backs the overall match winner rather than a winning margin. Standard two-way NHL markets include overtime and shootouts, so a regulation tie keeps the selection active. Check that the chosen market is full-game moneyline rather than a three-way regulation result.
Betting tip for 13 October: Stars moneyline. Dallas’s defensive improvement supports the home pick, with Oettinger’s participation central to the goalie-based reasoning.
Betting tip for 14 October: Avalanche moneyline. Colorado’s attacking depth and home matchup control support the return preference.
Puck Line
The puck line applies a handicap to the final score. Plus 1.5 covers an outright win or a one-goal defeat; minus 1.5 normally requires a two-goal victory. Empty-net goals can change a one-goal margin into two and alter settlement.
Betting tip for 13 October: Avalanche plus 1.5. The selection fits the predicted 3-2 Dallas victory and also covers an outright Colorado win.
Betting tip for 14 October: Stars plus 1.5. The selection fits the predicted 4-3 Colorado victory while keeping an away win covered.
Total Goals
A total compares the combined eligible goals with an offered threshold. Under 6.5 allows six goals or fewer, while over 5.5 requires at least six. Check overtime and shootout-award treatment, as regulation-only totals and full-game totals cover different periods.
Betting tip for 13 October: Under 6.5. The five-goal forecast supports the lower-total approach, while Colorado’s scoring strength is the main risk.
Betting tip for 14 October: Over 5.5. The seven-goal forecast supports this threshold; assess any higher offered line separately.
Regulation Result
A three-way regulation market offers a home win, away win or draw after 60 minutes. Overtime and shootout results do not change settlement. A selected team winning later does not rescue a regulation-win bet if the score was tied at the end of the third period.
Betting tip for 13 October: Stars to win in regulation. This follows the principal 3-2 score forecast.
Betting tip for 14 October: Avalanche to win in regulation. This is separate from the broader moneyline preference and fails if regulation ends level.
First-Period Winner
Only the opening 20 minutes determine this market. A team must lead at the first intermission to win a standard period-winner selection. A draw can be a separate option, while draw-protected formats have different settlement conditions; later goals do not count.
Betting tip for 13 October: First-period draw. This is the opening-frame preference within the more restrained Dallas game forecast.
Betting tip for 14 October: Avalanche first-period win. This opening-frame pick follows the home attack preference, not a claim that the full-game result guarantees an early lead.
First-Period Total
Only opening-period goals count toward the threshold. Under 1.5 requires zero or one combined goal; over 1.5 requires at least two. A high final score can still follow a quiet opening, making period totals distinct from full-game totals.
Betting tip for 13 October: Under 1.5 first-period goals. This follows the cautious opening scenario linked to recent Dallas containment.
Betting tip for 14 October: Over 1.5 first-period goals. This is the attacking-opening scenario; it requires early scoring rather than simply a high final total.
Highest-Scoring Period
This market compares combined goals in the three regulation periods. Equal totals can produce shared settlement or a separate tie outcome under the listed terms. Overtime is not automatically added to the third period, and the match winner does not determine the highest-scoring frame.
Betting tip for 13 October: Third period. A close projected finish provides the game-flow rationale for late attacking pressure.
Betting tip for 14 October: Third period. The return forecast also favours a competitive finish, with tied period totals an important settlement consideration.
Team to Score First
The first eligible goal settles this market independently of the overall winner. A team can score first and still lose. Check scoreless-game treatment and the covered periods; the opening-goal selection is a different proposition from backing a team to lead after the first period.
Betting tip for 13 October: Avalanche to score first. Colorado’s leading attacking unit is the candidate, despite Dallas being the full-game pick.
Betting tip for 14 October: Avalanche to score first. This follows the home attack preference without assuming an early power play.
Stars Team Total
Only Dallas goals determine this market, regardless of Colorado’s output. Under 3.5 permits three or fewer; over 2.5 requires three or more. Team totals can win during either a victory or defeat, with included periods and shootout treatment governed by the offered rules.
Betting tip for 13 October: Stars under 3.5 goals. This matches the three-goal home projection.
Betting tip for 14 October: Stars over 2.5 goals. This matches the three-goal away projection and does not require a Dallas victory.
Avalanche Team Total
Only Colorado goals determine this selection, independently of the game winner. Under 3.5 permits up to three goals, while over 2.5 requires at least three. A late empty-net goal or overtime goal can affect a full-game total when included by the market terms.
Betting tip for 13 October: Avalanche under 3.5 goals. This matches the two-goal forecast against recent Dallas defensive control.
Betting tip for 14 October: Avalanche over 2.5 goals. This matches the four-goal home projection, with the actual Stars starter informing the final assessment.
Both Teams to Score at Least Twice
Each team must register two eligible goals or more. A 3-2 score qualifies, but 4-1 fails despite the same combined total. This condition differs from both teams scoring once and should not be confused with a broad over selection on total goals.
Betting tip for 13 October: Yes. Both teams reach two goals in the main 3-2 forecast; a shutout or one-goal output is the main failure condition.
Betting tip for 14 October: Yes. Both teams reach the target in the 4-3 return forecast.
Most Shots on Goal
Official on-target shots determine the team comparison. Blocked and missed attempts are excluded, so total attempts are not interchangeable with shots on goal. Check tie settlement and included periods, since a team can lead this market without winning or scoring the most goals.
Betting tip for 13 October: Avalanche to record more shots on goal. The rationale is its transition attack and advancing defencemen, not the match-winner pick.
Betting tip for 14 October: Avalanche to record more shots on goal. Home attacking control supplies the role-based rationale; goals and shot totals settle independently.
Anytime Goalscorer
The chosen player must score an eligible goal during the covered periods. An assist does not satisfy the selection, and ordinary shootout conversions do not count as player goals. A player can score during a team defeat, making this independent of moneyline settlement.
Betting tip for 13 October: Mikko Rantanen anytime goalscorer. He is the Dallas finishing candidate within the three-goal home forecast.
Betting tip for 14 October: Nathan MacKinnon anytime goalscorer. He is the Colorado candidate within the four-goal home forecast.
Power-Play Points
The player needs a goal or assist officially credited on a man advantage. Even-strength points do not satisfy the condition. Penalty opportunities, power-play deployment and conversion all matter, so an ordinary player-points selection is broader than this specialised market.
Betting tip for 13 October: Cale Makar over 0.5 power-play points. His role supplies the candidate; the bet still requires a Colorado power-play goal involving him.
Betting tip for 14 October: Cale Makar over 0.5 power-play points. Use the same role-based candidate without assuming that home ice guarantees more penalties.
Player Assists
Over 0.5 assists requires at least one officially credited assist. Goals alone do not count, and shootout activity produces no ordinary player assists. The selection depends on teammates finishing eligible chances, rather than simply on passes made or attacking pressure generated.
Betting tip for 13 October: Wyatt Johnston over 0.5 assists. The selection links his attacking involvement to the three-goal Dallas forecast and requires at least one officially credited assist.
Betting tip for 14 October: Wyatt Johnston over 0.5 assists. The selection also fits the three-goal Dallas return forecast, with an assist required independently of the match winner.
Player Shots on Goal
Over 3.5 shots on goal requires four official on-target attempts. Missed efforts and shots blocked before reaching the net do not count. The market measures shooting volume rather than goals, assists or team success; an active attacking role is not itself proof of a threshold hit rate.
Betting tip for 13 October: Nathan MacKinnon over 3.5 shots on goal. This is the attacking-volume candidate, with recent recorded output and the offered price determining value.
Betting tip for 14 October: Nathan MacKinnon over 3.5 shots on goal. The home role supports the candidate, not a guaranteed four-shot result.
Head-to-Head Player Points
Compare eligible goals plus assists between the named players. A tied total may be a separate outcome or invoke refund terms. Team victory does not determine the player comparison, so the selected player can outscore his counterpart even while his team loses.
Betting tip for 13 October: MacKinnon to record more points than Robertson. This individual preference is separate from the Dallas winner forecast.
Betting tip for 14 October: MacKinnon to record more points than Robertson. This follows the Colorado home attacking preference, with tie rules checked before placing the wager.
Race to Three Goals
Select the team reaching three eligible goals before its opponent. Neither can be a separate outcome if both finish below the target. The final winning score does not establish goal order, so this market requires a scoring-sequence view beyond an outright winner prediction.
Betting tip for 13 October: Stars to reach three goals first. Dallas reaches the target in the 3-2 main forecast.
Betting tip for 14 October: Avalanche to reach three goals first. This is the scoring-sequence preference within the 4-3 home forecast.
Game to Reach Overtime
Yes requires a tie after regulation; No requires a winner after 60 minutes. A shootout occurs only after overtime has already been reached. The eventual margin does not change this earlier condition, and a full-game winner selection can succeed under either overtime outcome.
Betting tip for 13 October: No overtime. This follows the main Dallas regulation-win forecast, with a tied regulation finish the alternative outcome.
Betting tip for 14 October: No overtime. This follows the initial Colorado regulation-win scenario and remains distinct from full-game moneyline.
Grand Salami
Grand Salami measures aggregate goals across a defined slate of games, rather than the score of one fixture. Every included match contributes to settlement. The scoring selections in this preview concern the individual Stars–Avalanche meetings and belong in the match-total market.
Betting tip for 13 October: For the Dallas scoring forecast, choose the single-match under 6.5 goals preference. This is a match-total selection, not a Grand Salami prediction.
Betting tip for 14 October: For the Denver scoring forecast, choose the single-match over 5.5 goals preference. This is a match-total selection, not a Grand Salami prediction.
Keep Both Matches Within One Betting Budget
Set one entertainment limit for both meetings and include live bets within it. The return is not a fresh allowance for recovering an earlier loss. Several player and scoring selections can concentrate exposure to the same game, even when they have different market names.
Avoid borrowing or increasing stakes after a late goal. If gambling affects finances, relationships or wellbeing, stop and use local support, account breaks or self-exclusion tools. Watching without a wager is always an option.
- Set an affordable limit and track spending with GambleAware’s calculator.
- Never borrow, chase losses or raise stakes to recover money on 14 October. For US support, visit the National Council on Problem Gambling.
- Stop if gambling affects finances, relationships or wellbeing. For online self-exclusion in Great Britain, use GAMSTOP. Watching without betting is always an option.
Legal Age and Gambling Risk Notice
Participate only where permitted and after reaching the local legal gambling age. An 18+ label does not replace a higher local requirement. Gambling involves financial risk and can cause harm; forecasts are opinions, not guaranteed outcomes.
