Lightning vs Avalanche Game 5 Odds, Pick, and Prediction

After an exhilarating Game 4 the Avalanche have the Lightning in a chokehold going back to Colorado with a 3-1 series lead courtesy of a Kadri overtime winner in Amalie Arena. Now heading back to Ball Arena in Colorado, the Lightning will fight for their playoff lives as they hope to keep the dreams of a three peat alive; while the Lightning vs Avalanche Game 5 odds tell us Makar, Mackinnon, and the Avalanche will capture the team’s first Stanley Cup in 21 years.

Game 4 saw Cirelli put the Lightning up 1-0 within the first minute of the game, which had those who bet the over ecstatic for the rest of the game; however, Colorado weathered the early storm by the Lightning and neutralized Tampa Bay’s star players, resulting in a narrow 3-2 Colorado win. Puck drop for Game 5 is set for 8:00 PM EST on Friday June 24th, so make sure to mark your calendars because Lord Stanley will be in the building.

With that being said, let’s take a look at the odds offered to us by BetMGM to help us get a better idea on whether or not the Stanley Cup will be raised or if it will have to wait for another day. If you’re looking place a wager on the Stanley Cup Final check out the best Colorado sports betting promos this month!

Lightning vs Avalanche Game 5 Odds

Odds courtesy of BetMGM

Colorado Betting Trend in Ball Arena

Colorado has been dominant in this year’s playoffs as they currently have a 15-3 record throughout the entire playoffs; however, two of their three losses came when they were at home. This suggests that maybe the Lightning have a better chance at beating them in Ball Arena. They came close in Game 1 as they narrowly lost 4-3 in overtime after coming back from down 3-1.

Furthermore, the Avalanche have allowed 23 goals in 9 games at home throughout the playoffs, which adds up to an average of about 2.6 goals against per game. If this trend continues then the Avalanche may need to score at least three against Vasilevskiy in order to close out this series. While this hasn’t necessarily been a difficult task for Colorado in this series as they are averaging four goals per game over the first four games of this series, they haven’t seen the Lightning and Vasilevskiy in a elimination game.

When the Lightning have a chance to close out a series they have been unbeatable over the past two years. I would assume that their style of play in close out games would also translate to games when they are facing elimination. With that being said, it is important to note that the Lightning haven’t faced elimination much in their back-to-back Stanley Cup runs as well as in these playoffs. Over those three playoff runs they have only faced elimination three times. However, in those three games Vasileskiy has only allowed 4 goals, which amounts to a 1.33 goals against average.

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Lightning Superstars Need to Strike

The superstars for the Lightning have been fairly quiet through this entire series with the exception of Game 3, which saw Tampa Bay capture a 6-2 win, behind production from Hedman, Kucherov, Stamkos, Palat, and some depth players as well. This will likely be the recipe that the Lightning will need to follow if they hope to fight their way back into this series.

In the first four games of this Stanley Cup Final the Lightning have received a combined 9 points from their three superstars in Hedman, Kucherov, and Stamkos. If the Lightning want to have any chance to pull off this comeback they are going to need a lot more production from those three players. In the Conference Finals, the superstars for Tampa Bay were alive as Hedman, Kucherov, and Stamkos combined for 19 points in just 6 games. They will need to replicate this performance over the next three games of this Stanley Cup Finals for them to beat this powerhouse that Colorado has been.

It’s certainly not unrealistic to think this is possible as the experience that these superstars have in the playoffs suggests that they are more than capable of doing it. And Kucherov has the second most points in the Stanley Cup Finals among active NHLers (one point behind Crosby), which points to his ability to bring his game to another level when it matters.

Tampa Bay is Desperate

It seems odd to call the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions desperate, but in this situation they are as they are now playing for their playoff lives. There are new guys on the team, who are looking to make their dreams come true and hoist the Stanley Cup, and the team as a whole is looking to win three Stanley Cups in a row, which is a feat that not many teams can say they have accomplished.

Being on the brink of elimination is certainly new to Tampa but they have all the pieces in order to battle back and put some pressure on the Avalanche. With the leadership that the Lightning have between the coaches and captains they will instill confidence in the team that they can come back from being down 3-1, but it all starts with Game 5.

Furthermore, the Lightning have looked to one of their veteran leaders, Corey Perry, throughout the playoffs as he had to play the Lightning in the last two Stanley Cups and he has continuously reminded the team that when they play their best there isn’t a team in the world who can beat them. This reminder will ensure that the Lightning come out of the gates firing for Game 5 and show the Avalanche that they aren’t going to just roll over and die. The desperation of the team to play their best hockey and extend this series along with the confidence that they have garnered over the past couple years should work together to create a team that appears to be unbeatable.

Lightning vs Avalanche Game 5 Pick and Prediction

Tampa Bay is the underdog according to New York online sports betting sites in Game 5, as they have been for the entirety of this series. They will need their star players to step up in this game if they want a chance to win and Vasilevskiy will need to bring the high level play that he demonstrated in Tampa Bay back over to Colorado.

This team has the experience needed to perform in these moments and the calming presence of not only the leaders in the locker room but also the coaching staff will help them prepare and stay confident. There is an opportunity to get the back-to-back champs on + money without having to do anything crazy and it would be absurd to not take the sportsbooks up on this glorious opportunity. Because of this I am keeping it simple and going with the Lightning moneyline.

Pick: Lightning Moneyline (+150)