The Colorado Avalanche (31-3-7) face the Tampa Bay Lightning (25-13-3) Tuesday. Puck drop from Benchmark International Arena, is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Avalanche vs. Lightning odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Avs lead 1-0 after 3-2 home win Nov. 4 as -152 ML favorites
The Avs suffered their third regulation loss of the season Sunday in a 2-1 defeat at the Florida Panthers. LW Arturi Lehkonen’s 15th goal was the only tally. C Nathan MacKinnon was kept off the scoresheet for just the second time in 12 games. He leads the NHL in goals (35) and points (74).
The Lightning have won 7 straight after a 7-3 win over the San Jose Sharks Saturday. They’ve scored 4+ goals in each of those 7 games. RW Nikita Kucherov scored his 20th goal. D Darren Raddysh had a hat trick to give him 12 goals on the season. Kucherov is fourth in the league with 59 points.
Avalanche at Lightning odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1 p.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Avalanche -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Lightning -105 (bet $105 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Avalanche -1.5 (+200) | Lightning +1.5 (-250)Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)Avalanche at Lightning projected goalies
Scott Wedgewood (18-2-4, 2.17 GAA, .918 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (16-7-2, 2.36 GAA, .912 SV%, 1 SO)
Wedge was between the pipes in the back-to-back games Saturday and Sunday because G Mackenzie Blackwood (lower body) is on IR. He stopped 25 of 28 Saturday in a 5-3 win against Carolina and 23 of 25 against Florida Sunday. Wedgewood stopped 22 of 24 in the 3-2 win over Tampa earlier this season.
Vassy has won 5 straight starts after stopping 19 of 22 against San Jose Saturday. He has allowed more than 3 goals once in 14 starts. He stopped 30 of 33 in the loss to Colorado earlier this season.
Avalanche at Lightning picks and predictionsPrediction
Avalanche 3, Lightning 2
The Avs have dominated the entire league this season, and it’s tough for me to bet against them. Tampa, strangely, isn’t a very good home team at 11-9-0. The Avs are 14-3-5 on the road, and while their goalie situation isn’t as strong as Tampa’s, they just have too loaded of a chamber.
Take AVALANCHE (-115).
There’s no bet here. PASS.
The Avs are 5-5 O/U in their last 10, and the Lightning are 7-3. As mentioned, Tampa has been scoring 4 goals per game of late. That’s probably not happening against Colorado.
Go UNDER 6.5 (-120).
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