Kings vs. Avalanche prediction: Why Colorado is favored to win Sunday's NHL matchup [4/19/2026]

The Colorado Avalanche and Los Angeles Kings will lock horns in the NHL Playoffs at Ball Arena on Sunday, starting at 3:00 PM ET.

Based on updated simulation results, Dimers' advanced NHL model projects the Avalanche as the most likely winner of the Kings vs. Avalanche game.

This article offers an expanded analysis of Sunday's matchup, including projected goal scorers, best bets and player prop picks.

Kings vs. Avs prediction: Who will win and cover?

Using trusted machine learning and data analysis, we have simulated the outcome of Sunday's NHL Playoffs game between the Kings and Avalanche, forming part of our NHL predictions coverage.

Our famous predictive model gives the Avalanche a 68% chance of defeating the Kings.

According to our model, the Kings (+1.5) have a 54% chance of covering the puck line, while the over/under total of 5.5 goals has a 52% chance of going over.

Kings vs. Avalanche odds

We have sourced the best NHL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Kings	Avalanche
Puck Line	+1.5 (+100)	-1.5 (-115)
Moneyline	+240	-285
Total	o5.5 (+110)	u5.5 (+104)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Kings vs. Avalanche picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Puck Line	Kings +1.5	+100
Moneyline	Kings	+240
Total	Over 5.5	+110

According to our best NHL bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 5.5 total goals.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the sportsbook odds.

Kings vs. Avalanche player props

Who will score a goal in Kings vs. Avalanche?

According to our model, Martin Necas is most likely to score an anytime goal in Kings vs. Avalanche.

Our projections give Necas a 34.8% chance of scoring a goal at Ball Arena, while the star is a 7.4% chance of registering the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

Los Angeles Kings

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Adrian Kempe	33.0%
Artemi Panarin	31.2%
Quinton Byfield	29.3%
Alex Laferriere	26.0%
Trevor Moore	21.1%

Colorado Avalanche

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Martin Necas	34.8%
Nathan MacKinnon	34.4%
Gabriel Landeskog	27.2%
Artturi Lehkonen	24.9%
Valeri Nichushkin	24.8%

First goal scorer predictions

Los Angeles Kings

Player	First Goal Probability
Adrian Kempe	6.9%
Artemi Panarin	6.1%
Quinton Byfield	5.7%
Alex Laferriere	5.1%
Trevor Moore	3.7%

Colorado Avalanche

Player	First Goal Probability
Nathan MacKinnon	7.7%
Martin Necas	7.4%
Gabriel Landeskog	4.9%
Valeri Nichushkin	4.8%
Brock Nelson	4.6%

Kings vs. Avs game-day updates and essential details

Sunday's matchup between the Avalanche and Kings in the Stanley Cup Playoffs is scheduled to begin at 3:00 PM ET.

• Who: Los Angeles Kings vs. Colorado Avalanche
• Date: Sunday, April 19, 2026
• Time: 3:00 PM ET/12:00PM PT
• Venue: Ball Arena

The Stanley Cup Playoffs (aka NHL Playoffs) is an elimination tournament in the NHL to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup.

A total of 16 teams, including the Kings and Avalanche, reached the 2026 NHL Playoffs, which includes four rounds: the First Round, Second Round, Conference Finals and Stanley Cup Finals.

Each round is contested as a best-of-seven series, with the first team to four wins progressing to the next round until a champion is crowned.

Conclusion

We predict the Avalanche, with a 68% win probability, will likely beat the Kings in Sunday's NHL matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.