Avalanche vs Lightning Prediction, Odds & Best Bets | NHL Bets (2/15): Kucherov Leads the Way

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The National Hockey League has a massive 12-game lineup scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 15, including a potential Stanley Cup Final preview between the Colorado Avalanche (33-17-4) and Tampa Bay Lightning (29-20-5) at 7 p.m. ET.

Back to black. ⚡️

📺: @BallyLightning
📻: @BoltsRadio & @1025TheBone#COLvsTBL: https://t.co/vdmV9rrcfV pic.twitter.com/hSLbS3XnS4

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 15, 2024

The Avalanche head into tonight’s contest after snapping a four-game skid with Tuesday’s 6-3 blowout win over the Washington Capitals. Meanwhile, the Lightning aim for a third straight victory after beating the Boston Bruins 3-2 in a shootout.

As far as Stanley Cup odds go, Colorado sits second at +800 while Tampa Bay comes in at 15th with +3300 odds, per BetOnline’s NHL futures markets.

Tonight’s Avalanche vs. Lightning clash also features a plethora of betting opportunities, so let’s check out my predictions and best bets for the game.

Avalanche vs Lightning NHL Betting Tonight (2/15)

Avalanche vs Lightning Matchup Information

• Matchup: Colorado Avalanche (33-17-4, 13-12-4 Away) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (29-20-5, 17-5-3 Home)
• Venue & Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa, FL)
• Date: Thursday, Feb. 15, 2024
• Game Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time
• How to Watch Avalanche vs. Lightning: ESPN+

Lightning vs Avalanche NHL Betting Odds

Lightning vs. Avalanche odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Thursday, Feb. 15 at 10:19 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Avalanche vs Lightning Puck Line

• Colorado Avalanche +1.5 (-245)
• Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+205)

Lightning vs Avalanche Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-138)
• Under 6.5 Goals (+120)

Avalanche vs Lightning Moneyline

• Colorado Avalanche (-103)
• Tampa Bay Lightning (-109)

NHL Best Bets & Picks Today

Are you hoping to get in on even more NHL betting action tonight? Be sure to check out our NHL picks page for consensus picks for every 2023-24 game.

You can also check out:

• Latest NHL odds
• NHL best bets and predictions
• NHL betting guide

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Avalanche vs Lightning NHL Betting Trends

• Colorado is 4-2 straight up in its last six road games vs. Tampa Bay.
• Tampa Bay is 7-0 straight up in its last seven home games.
• The total hit the Over in nine of Colorado’s last 11 road games.
• The total hit the Over in six of Tampa Bay’s last seven games on a Thursday.
• The total hit the Under in five of the last six Colorado-Tampa Bay matchups.

Avalanche vs Lightning Prediction & Pick (2/15): Can Colorado Sweep Season Series?

Tonight’s game is the second and final time that the Avalanche and Lightning will collide this season. Colorado picked up a 4-1 victory when they collided at Ball Arena back in November as Ryan Johansen scored twice while Alexander Georgiev stopped 38 of the 39 shots sent his way.

Having said that, the Avalanche are the visitors this time around as they play the finale of their six-game road trip. The venture hasn’t gone all that well so far, though. The Avalanche are 1-4 SU through the first five games, having been outscored 19-9 along the way. Colorado is also just 1-for-16 (7.3%) on the power play and 10-for-14 (71.4%) on the penalty kill in those games.

Meanwhile, the Lightning return home after breaking even with a 2-2 SU record on their own four-game road trip. They now return to Amalie Arena where they’ve won seven consecutive home games, outscoring the competition by an average of 2.43 goals per game.

Additionally, Tampa Bay has scored on seven of its last 12 power plays at home (58.3%) and has also killed nine of the 10 previous penalties (90.0%).

The Lightning are looking for an eighth win in a row at Amalie Arena tonight.

Interestingly enough, the Avalanche have had some success at Amalie Arena, winning four of their last six trips to Tampa. Having said that, the Lightning notched a 5-0 victory the last time they hosted the Avs on Feb. 9, 2023.

Colorado’s Alexander Georgiev was in goal for that loss, continuing his struggles against Tampa Bay. The Russian netminder is now just 2-4 SU with a 3.41 goals-against average and .901 save percentage in his last six starts against the Bolts.

Georgiev has also been struggling away from home this season, playing to a 3.57 GAA and .889 SV% in his last nine road appearances.

On the flip side, the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy is 4-3 SU with a 2.08 GAA, .938 SV%, and one shutout in his seven previous clashes with the Avalanche. Furthermore, he hasn’t lost at home since Dec. 30, winning his last six starts in Tampa while tallying a 2.48 GAA and .899 SV%.

Will Andrei Vasilevskiy outduel Alexander Georgiev tonight?

I’m confident in the Lightning’s ability to win tonight. Tampa Bay has been flawless at home lately, whereas Colorado’s current road trip has been nothing short of a disaster. The Avalanche are better than they’ve been playing, but they aren’t playing with much confidence at the moment. With the host club’s special teams units also performing better, backing the Lightning to win is a no-brainer.

With that in mind, let’s take the Over on the 6.5-goal total, too. For starters, the Over is 13-4 in Colorado’s last 17 games and 6-1 in Tampa Bay’s last seven outings on a Thursday. Additionally, three of the Avalanche’s last four games featured more than 6.5 goals while each of the Lightning’s last three at home did so.

With Georgiev and Vasilevskiy’s SV%’s looking far from all that special lately, I can see quite a few goals being scored tonight.

Avalanche vs Lightning Prediction: TBL wins

Best Avalanche vs Lightning NHL Bet: o6.5 Total Goals (-138)

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Best Avalanche vs Lightning NHL Player Prop (2/15)

There are plenty of solid Avalanche vs. Lightning player props tonight, so let’s go with Nikita Kucherov recording over 3.5 shots on goal.

Kucherov has, unsurprisingly, been one of the Lightning’s best players lately, registering 14 points in his last seven games. He’s generated a lot of offense during that stretch, averaging 4.3 shots on goal while finishing with the Over four times and coming close with a pair of three-shot performances.

Despite their recent struggles, the Avs are still one of the best teams in the NHL, meaning the Lightning will count on Kucherov to step up. Fortunately, the Russian superstar tallied six SOG when these clubs collided in November, giving me enough confidence to back the Over on this prop again.

Best Avalanche vs Lightning Prop Bet: Nikita Kucherov o3.5 Shots on Goal (-115)

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