Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1 Prediction and Betting Odds June 15

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1 Preview

WagerTalk NHL handicapper Kevin Dolan offers his thoughts on Wednesday’s Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Finals Game 1. Will the Lightning be able to complete the three-peat? Puck drop for tonight is at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT.

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Wednesday, June 15	NHL Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars
Moneyline:	Colorado Avalanche -155 vs Tampa Bay Lightning +135
Puckline:	Avalanche -1.5 (+180) / Lightning +1.5 (-210)
Total:	6 Goals (Over -115 / Under -105)
Game Time:	8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT
Arena:	Ball Arena in Denver, CO
TV:	ABC

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Analysis

Game 1 of this year’s highly anticipated Stanley Cup finals tips off on Wednesday between current two-time champions the Tampa Bay Lightning and the books favorites to lift the title all season, the Colorado Avalanche, with both teams coming into this one in some great form.

The Tampa Bay Lightning roared back into contention in their Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers last time out with four straight wins after being down 0-2 to open that series.

The Colorado Avalanche meanwhile haven’t even been pushed to seven games over this postseason so far, sweeping both the Nashville Predators and the Edmonton Oilers en route to these finals.

The two teams met twice during the regular season with Colorado picking up both games by a slender one goal margin.

Lightning Looking To Make History

The Tampa Bay Lightning will look to make history this season being the first time in almost 40 years to win three consecutive Stanley Cup titles which hasn’t been accomplished since the New York Islanders managed to do it all the way back between 1980-83 (four titles).

That vast experience has stood the Lightning in good stead over this postseason run so far as well, coming back to knock out the Toronto Maple Leafs in a huge Game 7 road win, sweeping President’s Trophy winners the Florida Panthers in four straight games and dominating the final four games of their recent New York Rangers series also to set up their third finals in as many years against the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avalanche Turn Up The Heat In The Playoffs

While the Avalanche carried an effective offense throughout the majority of the season, it’s really been in the postseason where they’ve shown a complete extra gear in terms of getting it done up front.

The Avalanche ranked 4th on scoring offense and 7th on total shot conversion percentage over the course of the regular season, but in the playoffs this has increased dramatically, with the Avalanche ranking 1st and 3rd respectively in both of those metrics and averaging 0.88 more goals per game over this postseason as well.

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction

This is no doubt a tough opening game to call with both teams bringing injuries into this matchup also, the most notable of which is Colorado center Nazem Kadri who went down in Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers.

Kadri ranked top 20 in the league this season on total points per game and total assists per game also, so his absence will be sorely missed by the Avalanche in this one.

The other factor of course is experience at this level, and while the Avalanche have so far looked ruthless in dispatching opponents up to this point, with St. Louis being the only team capable of even taking any games off Colorado over this postseason run, this is simply a different level, and a long 21 year absence for a Stanley Cup title on Wednesday might play on some nerves ahead of this huge Game 1 clash.

While the Avalanche are the more talented team overall heading into tonight’s game, we’re going to ride with experience in this one and take the Tampa Bay Lightning at a healthy +135 underdog price to pull off the outright upset in Game 1 and take the road win.

Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning +135

NHL Betting Guide

Thanks to the ever-expanding sports betting industry, there are now a variety of ways to attack the betting market outside of the traditional point spreads, moneylines and totals. Few sports have seen an increase of betting popularity like hockey, and we now have several different ways to wager on the NHL and international leagues. Check out our NHL Betting Guide with helpful terms and tips for novice bettors.

Puck Time | NHL Stanley Cup Predictions for June 15

Join Carmine Bianco and Andrew McInnis for Wednesday’s edition of Puck Time as our panel of professional hockey handicappers break down tonight’s Stanley Cup Finals Game 1 between the Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning.

WagerTalk Live Odds Screen

WagerTalk’s live odds screen features up-to-the-minute lines from a variety of offshore and domestic sports books. Track the NHL moneylines, puck lines and betting percentages for all of the NHL playoff action, including this Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1 showdown, from your desktop or phone.

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Meet the Author

‘The sharpest sports mind in Ireland’ is how one prominent newspaper dubbed Kevin Dolan after he became the first foreigner ever to win the World Series of Handicapping tournament back in 2015. “The Irishman” made his start wagering on GAA, football, soccer and boxing, all to immense success. Since becoming a professional bettor, he has since lit up the sports betting scene in the U.S. and abroad, winning two handicapping awards and writing a best-selling book on sports handicapping named ‘The Complete Guide to Sports Betting’.

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