Colorado Avalanche at Ottawa Senators odds, picks and predictions

The Colorado Avalanche (38-22-6) play the 3rd contest in a 4-game road trip against the Ottawa Senators (33-30-4) on Thursday at Canadian Tire Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook's lines around the Avalanche vs. Senators odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

The Avalanche opened the road trip by doubling up the Montreal Canadiens 8-4 Monday and topping the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-1 in a shootout Wednesday.

The Senators have dropped the past 3 outings by a combined score of 16-6, as goaltending and defense have been an issue. The losses come at a critical time, too, as Ottawa is just 8 points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 15 regular-season games remaining.

Ottawa suffered a 7-0 defeat in the first meeting in Denver on Jan. 14, as Avs backup G Pavel Francouz stopped all 29 shots he faced, while Colorado's LW Artturi Lehkonen, C Alex Newhook and RW Mikko Rantanen each registered 2 goals. The Sens won't have to deal with Lehkonen, as he is sidelined at least a month with a broken finger.