Our Stars vs. Avalanche prediction arrives on the second half of a home-and-home set, and the second half looks nothing like the first. Colorado took the opener 3-2 in Dallas on Tuesday. The two clubs now reconvene at Ball Arena, where the Avalanche are listed at -145 on the moneyline. The total sits at 6.0. Both teams are on the back end of a back-to-back, which usually means both No. 1 goaltenders sit. That single detail reshapes the handicap, so here is how we are reading the board before puck drop.
Last Updated: October 14, 2026
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche — Game Info
| Where | Ball Arena, Denver Colorado |
| When | October 14 – 8:30 PM ET |
| TV | TNT, truTV |
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Betting Preview
Goaltending is the whole story here, and it points in an unfamiliar direction. Jake Oettinger and Mackenzie Blackwood both worked Tuesday night in Dallas. On the back half of a back-to-back, Casey DeSmith is expected in net for the Stars and Scott Wedgewood is expected to start for Colorado. Neither team had confirmed its starter at the time of writing, so treat the goaltending read as provisional until morning skate settles it. DeSmith has one appearance this season, a 24-save effort in a 2-1 loss at Nashville on October 3. Wedgewood also owns one start, carrying a .897 save percentage and a 3.00 goals-against average into tonight.
That matters most because Oettinger has been the reason Dallas looks respectable. He stopped 79 of 82 shots across his first four starts and was named the NHL’s Second Star of the Week. Remove him and the Stars are a club that ranks 30th in expected goals and sat 28th on the power play at 7.7% before Tuesday. Dallas also plays without Matt Duchene, who had core muscle surgery and is expected to miss roughly three months. Joel Kiviranta has missed four games with a lower-body injury, and Wyatt Johnston was a late scratch Tuesday with an illness.
Colorado comes in 4-2-0 and fourth in the Central, scoring a league-best 5.20 goals per game. The defensive end is a different matter, with 3.40 goals against per game ranking 21st. Cale Makar missed Tuesday to be with his wife for the birth of their twins, and the team has not announced his availability for tonight. Still, Colorado won the opener 3-2 behind two Martin Necas goals while dressing 17 skaters. Nathan MacKinnon has 10 points in his first five games and added two assists Tuesday. He also brings a 10-game point streak against Dallas into the rematch. For the first leg of this set, see our Avalanche vs Stars prediction from October 13.
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche Odds
| Puck Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stars | +1.5 (-210) | +125 | O 6.0 (-110) |
| Avalanche | -1.5 (+175) | -145 | U 6.0 (-110) |
Odds accurate as of October 14, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NHL Odds – Futures – Props
Dallas Stars vs. Colorado Avalanche — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Stars | 71% | 29% | Avalanche |
See the latest NHL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Stars vs. Avalanche Prediction — What Happens When Jake Oettinger Sits
Dallas has allowed the fewest goals in the league this season, and that number is almost entirely one man’s work. Through four games the Stars conceded 1.50 goals per game while scoring 2.50, which ranked 24th. Oettinger’s early save percentage sat at .963, a figure no goaltender sustains. Hand the same defensive structure to a 35-year-old backup making his second appearance and the run prevention changes in kind, not just in degree. Colorado, meanwhile, is the league’s highest-scoring team and is at home with a power play converting at 23.8%.
Fatigue compounds it. Both clubs flew after a physical game that featured two fights. Colorado also skated nine forwards for a long stretch of the second period after Fedor Svechkov’s major. Tired legs take more penalties and lose more coverage battles in front of the net. Remember too that this is a full-game total, so overtime and the shootout both count. A game tied after 60 minutes produces at least one more goal for settlement purposes. Empty-net goals pull in the same direction, because trailing teams pull the goaltender with two minutes left.
The market agrees, modestly. The total opened at 6.0 with the Under priced at -117 and the Over at -103. It now sits at 6.0 with both sides at -110, which means the money has come in on the Over. That is confirmation rather than a pre-move number to chase. The case against is real, though. Dallas is genuinely low-event, ranking 30th in expected goals and 19th-fewest in expected goals for per 60 at five-on-five. The Stars managed only three shots in the third period Tuesday. If Dallas scores twice again, Colorado needs four on its own. Makar’s absence would also thin the Avalanche power play.
The Pick: Over 6.0 (-110)
Stars vs. Avalanche Prediction — A Price That Has Not Moved Since Tuesday Night
The side is a closer call, and the price is the interesting part. Colorado opened at -145 and still sits at -145, unchanged since the number was posted on Tuesday evening. That implies a 59.2% win probability. Dallas at +125 implies 44.4%. Our read puts the Avalanche a touch above that bar. They are home, they are the league’s best offensive team, and they face an opponent whose scoring has been the problem rather than the solution. Dallas has lost two straight and has gone 2-3-1 overall.
There are honest reasons to pause. A frozen number is not a vote of confidence in the favorite. Colorado’s own backup is also in net, behind a blue line that may again be missing its best defenseman. Dallas also owns a real structural edge at the dot, winning 56.3% of its faceoffs, second in the league, against Colorado’s 49.1%. That is how a low-event team controls a game it should not control. Note as well that the puck line tells a different story from the moneyline. Public money sits 71% on Dallas +1.5. That price shortened from -205 to -210, so the line is moving with the public rather than against it. That is expected behavior and carries little signal either way. For more on the Central Division picture, see our Wild vs Jets prediction from October 13.
The Pick: Colorado Avalanche Moneyline (-145)
Our Final Word on Stars vs. Avalanche
One more angle stands out, and it runs through the player who owns this series. MacKinnon has eight goals and eight assists in his last 10 meetings with Dallas. He also carries a 10-game point streak in the matchup. He has 10 points in his first five games this season and two assists on Tuesday. He also takes an unusually high share of his faceoffs in the offensive zone, which inflates his looks. Against a backup making his second appearance, a multi-point night at better than even money reads as fair value. The risk is obvious. He was bloodied in a fight with Roope Hintz on Tuesday, and Dallas defends the middle of the ice as well as anyone.
The Pick: Nathan MacKinnon 2+ Points (+108)
All three plays lean on the same underlying input. Neither starting goaltender is expected to work, so treat them as connected rather than independent. We like the Over 6.0 (-110) because Dallas’s elite goals-against figure belongs to Oettinger, who is expected to rest tonight. We like the Colorado Avalanche moneyline (-145) because the league’s top-scoring team is home against an opponent ranked 30th in expected goals. And we like Nathan MacKinnon 2+ Points (+108) on the strength of a 10-game point streak against this opponent.
NHL Stars vs. Avalanche FAQ: October 14, 2026
What time does the Stars vs. Avalanche game start?
Puck drop is set for 8:30 PM ET on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, which is 6:30 PM local time in Denver. It is the second game of a home-and-home set that opened Tuesday night in Dallas.
What channel is the Stars vs. Avalanche game on?
The game airs nationally on TNT and truTV. That national window replaces the usual regional coverage for both clubs, so viewers in Denver and Dallas get the same broadcast feed rather than separate team-side telecasts.
How can I stream the Stars vs. Avalanche game?
The game streams on HBO Max, which carries the TNT and truTV simulcast. Live television packages that include TNT and truTV also carry it, since this is a national broadcast rather than a regional sports network window.
Where are the Stars and Avalanche playing?
They play at Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, the Avalanche’s home building. The teams met at American Airlines Center in Dallas on Tuesday, so this is the Colorado leg of the back-to-back set.
Who won the last meeting between the Stars and Avalanche?
Colorado won 3-2 in Dallas on October 13, 2026. Martin Necas scored twice, including a power-play goal on a two-man advantage, and Artturi Lehkonen opened the scoring. Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz answered for the Stars.
Where do the Stars and Avalanche stand in the standings?
Colorado is 4-2-0 and sits fourth in the Central Division with eight points. Dallas is 2-3-1 and sits seventh in the Central. Tuesday’s result moved the Avalanche ahead of the Stars by three points in the division table.