Game two of the Stanley Cup Final gets underway on Saturday after the Colorado Avalanche took game one in overtime against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avs showed their talent early on in the game as they squeaked in a few goals in the first period. The Lightning fought back with some goals of their own, eventually taking the game to overtime where the Avs found the back of the net, winning game one. Game two should be another good matchup as it’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Lightning-Avalanche prediction and pick.

 

 

Here are the Lightning-Avalanche NHL Odds, Courtesy of FanDuel

NHL Odds: Lightning-Avalanche Odds

Tampa Bay Lightning: +1.5 (-205) (+128 ML)

Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+168) (-154 ML)

Over: 6 (-110)

Under: 6 (-110)

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Why The Lightning Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to bounce back after losing in overtime in game one, but they kept really good pressure on the Avs throughout the first game. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the main story for the Bolts as he's widely known as the best goaltender in the world, let alone the league, but the defense in front of him is coming up huge with countless blocked shots in big moments. Their offense on the other hand needs to step up and keep peppering the net with shots. The Bolts are known for not losing two games in a row in the playoffs, and as long as they can maintain control and possession of the puck, they have a good chance of taking home a win in game two.

Why The Avalanche Can Cover The Spread/Win

The Colorado Avalanche looked really good in game one, getting shots on net, keeping the intensity high, and overall dominating in the offensive zone. Their biggest issue is finding ways to get open shots. The Lightning continued to block shots as if their lives depended on it last night and for the majority of the time, it worked. If even half of those shots were on target, the Avs would've won game one by a landslide. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper should also have a better performance in game two after being away with injury for a while, but he looked solid in net and ready to keep winning. More good news for the Avs, Nazem Kadri is back skating in practice on his own, and will likely be rejoining the starting roster very soon. The Avs need a win tonight to go into Tampa Bay with a 2-0 series lead.

Final Lightning-Avalanche Prediction & Pick

As far as the series goes, it's going to be a fantastic matchup, one that's been anticipated by hockey fans for three years now. With that said, this game could genuinely lean either way. Odds-wise, I like the Lightning of course since they're listed in plus money, and they're known for rarely losing twice in a row in the playoffs. I might sprinkle half of a unit on the Bolts Moneyline, but the official pick is over six goals. During game one, the over was guaranteed to cash by the second period, and I think game two will be no different. Yes, Vasilevskiy is the best goalie in the world, but both of these teams can score heaps of goals at will. I'm going to continue to take the over until it fails, especially when it's listed at a fair price.

Final Lightning-Avalanche Prediction and Pick: Over 6 (-110)