The Colorado Avalanche (31-3-7) and Tampa Bay Lightning (25-13-3) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Fla. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Avalanche are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (+100o / -120u). The Avalanche are a -125 favorite to win outright, while the Lightning are +105 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Avalanche vs. Lightning predictions and NHL picks.
Avalanche vs. Lightning Odds, Pick
| Avalanche Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +194 | 6.5 -100o / -120u | -125 |
| Lightning Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -245 | 6.5 -100o / -120u | +105 |
- Avalanche vs. Lightning Spread: Avalanche -1.5 (+194), Lightning +1.5 (-245)
- Avalanche vs. Lightning Over/Under: 6.5 (+100o / -120u)
- Avalanche vs. Lightning Moneyline: Avalanche -125, Lightning +105
Avalanche vs. Lightning Preview
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche enters this matchup as the NHL’s top team, boasting the league’s best record with six fewer regulation losses than the next-best club. In a season marked by parity across the other 31 teams, Colorado stands in a league of its own.
Entering this matchup in dominant form, the Avalanche have won 10 of their past 11 games. They are so dangerous because they are the league’s top-performing team in all three zones.
This season, Colorado ranks first in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60), expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) and expected goal share. No other team ranks in the top four in all three of those categories, let alone leads each one.
Not only are the Avalanche the league’s best team both offensively and defensively, but they have also received stellar goaltending from Scott Wedgewood. Projected to start Tuesday, Wedgewood carries an 18-2-4 record with a .918 save percentage and a 2.17 goals-against average.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Wedgewood’s success is likely to continue against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Through three career meetings, he is 2-1 with a commanding .949 save percentage and a 1.34 goals-against average.
Meanwhile, Andrei Vasilevskiy is slated to start for Tampa Bay. Although Vasilevskiy remains one of the league’s elite goaltenders, he trails Wedgewood this season in wins, save percentage and goals-against average.
Additionally, Vasilevskiy owns a losing record in his career against Colorado.
Avalanche vs. Lightning Prediction
This game could serve as a preview of this year’s Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning are an excellent team, but they fall short of Colorado across nearly every key category.
Colorado outranks Tampa Bay in xGF/60, xGA/60 and expected goal share. Those facts are not an indictment of the Lightning, but rather a testament to the Avalanche’s dominance this season.
Pick: Avalanche Moneyline (-120 | Play to -125)
