Western Michigan vs. Denver Prediction, Expert Picks & Frozen Four Odds: NCAA Hockey Best Bets for April 10

🏒 Western Michigan Broncos vs. Denver Pioneers preview

The unseeded Denver Pioneers (29-11-1) will face the only remaining seeded team, the No. 4 Western Michigan Broncos (30-7-1), this afternoon. We make our Western Michigan vs. Denver prediction as the two sides clash for a spot in the championship game. Puck drop from Enterprise Center in St. Louis is 5 p.m. ET (ESPN2).

The team that wins this tilt is expected to take the NCAA championship, with Denver (+200) slightly edging Western Michigan (+220) at FanDuel.

Who will the winner face in the championship? I break that down in my Boston University vs. Penn State prediction.

📺 Game info & where to watch Western Michigan vs. Denver live: 2025 NCAA Frozen Four

📅 Date: Thursday, April 10
🕗 Time: 5 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Enterprise Center, St. Louis
📺 TV: ESPN2
💻 Streaming: ESPN+

💰 Western Michigan vs. Denver odds & Frozen Four betting lines

🏆 Western Michigan vs. Denver college hockey odds via FanDuel. Shop around for the best Frozen Four odds from our best sports betting apps.

• Spread: Denver -1.5 (+186) | Western Michigan +1.5 (-240)
• Moneyline: Denver -136 | Western Michigan +104
• Over/Under: Over 6.5 (+102) | Under 6.5 (-134)

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📊 Western Michigan vs. Denver stats, records & betting trends

❄️ Denver Pioneers (29-11-1)

🏒 Goals per game: 4
🥅 Opponent goals per game: 2.12
💪 Power play: 29.1%
⚠️ Penalty kill: 82.1%

Denver is red-hot entering the Frozen Four after scoring eight goals in the opening two rounds to punch its ticket, giving the Pioneers a two-game winning streak after losing their final NCHC Frozen Faceoff game.

The Pioneers lead the NCAA in goals scored per game, and it’s been a team effort. Sam Harris (0.55, 16th), Carter King (0.49, 24th), and Aidan Thompson (0.47, 34th) make Denver the only team left in the tournament with three top-35 per-game scorers.

At the other end, goalie Matt Davis ranks a solid 15th in goals allowed per game (2.07) and 16th in save rate (92.3%). The concern for Denver shouldn’t be during 5-on-5 play, but instead 4-on-5. Denver's penalty kill sits just 17th. That wasn’t a problem in the opening round, but it could be against an efficient power-play unit. Still, Denver’s top-ranked offense might be able to compensate. 

❄️ No. 4 Western Michigan (30-7-1)

🏒 Goals per game: 3.95
🥅 Opponent goals per game: 2.05
💪 Power play: 25.9%
⚠️ Penalty kill: 87.1%

The next-best team by goals per game is No. 4 Western Michigan. Unlike Denver, the Broncos endured a bumpier path. WMU needed two overtimes to beat Minnesota State in the first round, then the Broncos beat Massachusetts by a single goal. Their net scoring margin in the tournament (+2) is one-third of Denver’s production. But the team is now on an eight-game winning streak, including a victory over Denver in the NCHC Frozen Faceoff. 

Western Michigan’s power-play unit is slightly worse than Denver’s group, but the Broncos' penalty kill is much better and ranks fourth nationally. The unit held Denver to zero goals over two power plays in the last meeting between the two teams. Goalie Hampton Slukynsky matches or exceeds Denver’s Davis, too. He ranks seventh in goals against per game (1.92 ) and 16th in save rate (92.3%).

💡 Western Michigan vs. Denver prediction & expert picks: Thursday, April 10

🎯 Score prediction: Denver 4, Western Michigan 3
✅ Best bet: Denver ML (-136 via FanDuel)

📰 Western Michigan vs. Denver Frozen Four preview & matchup analysis

Although the reigning national champions didn’t earn a top-four seed this season, they’re now the betting favorite to win the NCAA tournament again this year, checking in at odds of +200 (33.3% implied probability) to do so at FanDuel. Logically, they’re also favored to win Thursday’s game against Western Michigan at odds of -136 (57.1%). 

Both offenses have been putting the puck in the net at an incredibly high rate. Denver scored three times before the end of the second period versus Western Michigan on only 15 shots during the last clash between these two teams. In contrast, Western Michigan failed to convert over its first 20 shots before scoring three times in the third period to force overtime.

I suspect Denver took its foot off the gas against Western Michigan last time, which is a mistake the Pioneers won’t make again with a national championship on the line. The massive shot disparity (46 for WMU, 26 for Denver) is a concern, but the split was a far less concerning 21-18 when the second period ended with Denver leading by three.

I favor Denver to win the rematch, as do the markets, but by a wider margin than what you’re able to buy. Denver has proven its mettle at this level of competition, both by winning it all last year and winning dominantly this year.

Meanwhile, it’s Western Michigan head coach Pat Ferschweiler’s first trip to the Frozen Four, but Denver head coach David Carle has advanced that far four times. The latter sports a 5-2 record in the final three games of the season.

👉 Want to bet on the Frozen Four? Check out our guide on how to bet on hockey.

💰 Western Michigan vs. Denver picks & best bets

✅ Puck line pick: Denver -1.5 (+186 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐
✅ Moneyline pick: Denver (-136 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
✅ Over/Under pick: Over 6.5 Goals (+102 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

🛜 Game already started? You can still get in on the action with our best live betting sites.

🤖 Western Michigan vs. Denver AI prediction

For entertainment purposes, we asked ChatGPT to analyze historical trends and live college hockey stats before predicting the winner and exact score for Western Michigan vs. Denver. Our AI prediction projects a final score of Denver 4, Western Michigan 2.

🖥️ AI score prediction: Denver 4, Western Michigan 2

• Denver has dominated Western Michigan in recent matchups, winning seven of the last eight meetings, including a 5-2 victory earlier this season.
• Western Michigan’s offense has been inconsistent lately, averaging just 2.4 goals per game over their last five contests, while Denver's attack is firing at 4.1 goals per game during the same stretch.
• Denver boasts the nation's best power-play unit (around 30% conversion rate), while Western Michigan has struggled on the penalty kill (just 76% efficiency), which could be a critical mismatch.

🤔 Betting takeaway: ChatGPT's AI prediction would mean Denver covering the puck line (-1.5) and a total of Under 6.5 goals. ChatGPT is a large language model and not specifically designed for predicting sporting events, so these projections should be viewed as entertainment or a supplementary data point for your Frozen Four betting research.

🏆 Past Frozen Four winners

*The 2020 tournament was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

📜 For more past winners, see the full NCAA men's hockey championship history.

🥅 Best college hockey betting sites

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