After dropping Game 3 of the Western Conference Final in soul-crushing fashion, the Avalanche find themselves trailing 3-0 and on the brink of elimination versus the Golden Knights.
Historically, falling behind three games is as close to a death sentence as it comes in the NHL. Only four teams have ever erased a three-game deficit, most recently the Kings in their 2014 Stanley Cup run.
Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said morale was "as low as it can get" after his team coughed up a three-goal lead on the road Sunday, making hopes of an Avs' comeback sound extremely bleak.
But oddsmakers haven't totally written off the former Stanley Cup favorites. The Avalanche are still +700 to win four straight against Vegas on theScore Bet, implying a probability of 12.5%. Colorado is also the slight favorite for Tuesday's Game 4.
Western Conference Final odds
| Market | Odds |
|---|---|
| Golden Knights to win | -1200 |
| Avalanche to win | +700 |
| Series to go 7 games | +400 |
The fact that the Avalanche are favorites in Game 4 suggests - barring any drastic lineup changes - that they will be favorites for all remaining games in the series. Colorado closed as a -156 favorite on the moneyline in Game 3 and won't be an underdog at home if the series returns to the Mile High City.
Oddsmakers have loved the Avalanche all season, which is part of the reason their odds of completing a comeback are rather high. Colorado has been atop the Stanley Cup oddsboard since the Panthers hoisted the Cup last season. The Avs were as short as +130 to win the title before the Western Conference Final started but now sit at +1400.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights are co-favorites with the Hurricanes to lift the Stanley Cup at +145. Carolina and Montreal are tied 1-1 with Game 3 of the Eastern final set for Monday night.
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