Two entertaining Central Division opponents meet in the NHL this Thursday when the Utah Hockey Club hosts the Colorado Avalanche. The two have not met this season and with seven games played each, the hockey club has a three-point lead in the standings. They will look to open up a five-point lead as the Avalanche continue to try to make up for a hole early in the season. Here are our predictions for Avalanche vs. Hockey Club.

After a very sluggish start, the powerful Avalanche have bounced back and picked up three wins in a row. A hot start from Utah was followed by a double victory. I expect these trends to continue with a Colorado win and a Utah loss. An important factor is how well Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, among others, play for Colorado. Makar and MacKinnon are tied for first and second in NHL points, respectively, and as usual, they're completely taking over games. Utah will have their hands full with these guys, along with other players who already have 3+ goals and 7+ points in the lineup. It's a big test for this young Utah team that I don't think will be successful given their current style of play and roster. For our Avalanche vs. Hockey Club prediction, we're assuming Colorado wins on the money line.

Avalanche vs. Utah Prediction: Avalanche ML (-135) available at time of publication. Playable to -150.

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