The 2022 Stanley Cup Final continues Saturday, June 18, with Game 2 from Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado, so we bring you the best Lightning vs. Avalanche betting pick along with the latest team stats, news, and odds.  

According to MyBookie Sportsbook, the Colorado Avalanche are -150 moneyline favorites for Saturday’s clash. The Tampa Bay Lightning are listed as +125 road underdogs, while the totals sit at 6.0 goals. 

The Lightning has to avoid another slow start                         

The Tampa Bay Lightning nearly overcame a 3-1 first-period deficit in the opening game of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final this past Wednesday. Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev found the back of the net in the second period to tie Game 1 at 3-3, but the Bolts eventually lost in overtime. 

Tampa Bay took only 23 shots toward Colorado’s goalie. On the other side of the ice, the Bolts surrendered 38 shots toward Andrei Vasilevskiy, who finished the game with 34 stops and a .895 save percentage. 

Vasilevskiy must be disappointed with his performance in the opener and will look to improve Saturday in Game 2. He’ll also need more help from his teammates. Vasilevskiy is now 12-6 with a 2.36 GAA and .926 save percentage in the 2022 NHL Playoffs. 

The Avalanche need to stay aggressive                     

The Colorado Avalanche’s plan worked well for most of Game 1. They kept the Bolts in check and outshot them 38-23. The Avs also recorded a whopping 17 takeaways and had three hits more than their opponents (43-40). 

Four players found the back of the net, while Andre Burakovsky hit the winner after just 1:23 of play in overtime. It was Burakovsky’s second goal of the postseason, and the 27-year-old winger is one of two Colorado players with a championship ring. 

Darcy Kuemper guarded the cage last Wednesday and did a decent job with 20 stops and a .870 save percentage. The 32-year-old netminder is now 7-2 with a 2.68 GAA and .895 save percentage in the 2022 Stanley Cup. He’s missed three games in the conference finals due to an injury. 

Trends:

Tampa Bay: 

  • 10-3 in the last 13 games overall  
  • 6-2 in the last eight games against the Western Conference  

Colorado:

  • 2-5 in the last seven home games against Tampa Bay 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche Pick 

I’m looking for the two-time defending champions to play much better than they did in the dramatic opener. Brayden Point is back from an injury, and the Lightning are going into Game 2 in full strength. On the other side, the Avalanche will probably miss Nazem Kadri, while Andrew Cogliano is listed as questionable. 

We should see another tight battle in Colorado. The Avs must be fired up following a big win in Game 2, but I’m going with the Bolts’ experience in Game 2. 

Pick: Take Tampa Bay Lightning at +125            

The Total:

Wednesday’s opener saw a push at six goals in the regulation, while the under has hit in ten of Tampa Bay’s previous 11 games overall. On the other side, five of the Avs’ previous eight contests have gone over the total. 

The Lightning have to slow down things as much as possible and try to be more physical with the Avs, who’ll once more look to speed up things early in the game. I lean toward the under, looking for a better performance from both goaltenders. 

Pick: Go under 6.0 goals at -105