Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 2 Prediction and Betting Odds June 18

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Game 2 Preview

WagerTalk NHL handicapper Kevin Dolan offers his thoughts on Saturday’s Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Finals Game 2. Can the Lightning rebound and take Game 2 after falling just short of a comeback in Game 1? Find out Saturday at 8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT.

Still trying to secure a Playstation 5 almost 20 months after its initial release? We know the struggle. Enter our social media raffle, and you could Win a Playstation 5! Stay on top of the latest NHL updates direct from Las Vegas!

Saturday, June 18	NHL Betting Notes, Courtesy of Caesars
Moneyline:	Colorado Avalanche -155 vs Tampa Bay Lightning +135
Puckline:	Avalanche -1.5 (+175) / Lightning +1.5 (-200)
Total:	6 Goals (Over -110 / Under -110)
Game Time:	8:00pm ET / 5:00pm PT
Arena:	Ball Arena in Denver, CO
TV:	ABC

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Analysis

The Colorado Avalanche drew first blood on Wednesday night with an incredibly competitive Game 1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Denver.

Colorado looked comfortable early on in that game with goals from Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin to open up the scoring before a Tampa Bay rally midway through the second period brought the Lightning right back into contention with the game tied all square heading into the third.

The Avalanche’s 62.3% shot advantage finally paid off however as Andre Burakovsky grabbed an OT goal for Colorado to push them into a 1-0 series lead in this best of seven finals.

Tampa Bay Continuing To Show Grit

The two-time Stanley Cup champions showed why they’re just that on Wednesday as they roared back from an 0-2 deficit to give Colorado their first serious test since the St. Louis series last month.

A major part of that Tampa Bay Lightning character are the players it possesses on both sides of the puck, with big game players such as Ondrej Palat and Steven Stamkos in attack melding well with Andrei Vasilevskiy in nets for a potent combination.

Vasilevskiy is 17-1 in postseason games when coming off a loss over his career so far so he’ll no doubt be eager to continue that run here tonight.

Colorado’s Red Hot Offense

The Avalanche opened up with three goals over just the first period in Wednesday’s Game 1 against the Lightning and that offensive onslaught has been a pattern for this team over the playoffs so far.

Colorado has averaged a red-hot 4.60 goals per game over this postseason so far with an 11.35% conversion rate (1.78% higher than Tampa Bay’s).

And those numbers aren’t slowing down either with Colorado banking 22 goals (5.5 goals per game) in their four game series sweep against the Edmonton Oilers in the last round.

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction

Despite grabbing an assist on Wednesday night through Valeri Nichushkin’s second goal for the Avalanche, one of the few players to not get his name on the scoreboard was Colorado’s leading scorer over this postseason so far Nathan MacKinnon.

We expect that to change here on Saturday as MacKinnon is #2 on the playoffs scoring list this season, netting 11 goals over this postseason so far, with only the Oilers Evander Kane scoring more at 13.

MacKinnon is +165 to be an anytime goalscorer in Game 2 and that’s the way we’re going to play this one on Saturday between the Lightning and the Avalanche.

Prediction: Nathan MacKinnon Anytime Goal Scorer +165

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 18

Join Carmine Bianco and Andrew McInnis for Friday’s edition of Puck Time as our panel of professional hockey handicappers break down Saturday’s Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 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 2 showdown, from your desktop or phone.

**************************************************

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’.

Looking for more free sports picks and sports betting tips?

• Latest Betting Odds and Public Action: Vegas lines updated in real time, including who the public is betting on.
• Last Minute Handicapping Advice: Check out our extensive library of handicapping tips and advice from professional Vegas handicappers (we also recommend taking the time to look over our sports betting tips video library)
• Want an expert opinion? Check out the latest Free Sports Picks and Best Bets from our team of expert sports handicappers.

Make sure to bookmark all the above!