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- What: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche
- Date: Monday, November 27, 2023
- Location: Ball Arena in Denver, CO
- Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: ALT, BSSUN, NHLPP, ESPN+
A 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Finals rematch occurs tonight when the Tampa Bay Lightning face the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche won the Cup in 2022, downing the Lightning in six games. The teams have played twice since, with the Lightning winning both games. Tampa Bay defeated Colorado 5-0 at home last year and then topped them 4-3 in a shootout. Tonight’s game marks the first of two meetings between the teams in the 2024 NHL season.
The Avalanche sit in first place in the Central Division with a record of 14-6-0. The team has seemingly shaken off their surprising first-round exit from the 2023 NHL playoffs, where they lost to the Seattle Kraken in seven games. One of the betting favorites to win the 2024 Stanley Cup, Colorado is 7-2-0 at home this season. Young defensive star Cale Makar is one of the highest scorers in the league with 30 points and is tied for the NHL lead in assists with 25.
The 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup winners, the Tampa Bay Lightning, have been slowed by injuries this season. However, things have recently turned around for the team as the club’s superstar goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, returned to the ice last week, posting a 2.00 goals against average and a .917 save percentage in an 8-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Tampa is 10-6-5 on the year and 4-4-2 on the road.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for tonight’s matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche, check out our betting picks to win the 2024 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche betting picks – November 27, 2023
 | Puck Line | Money Line | Total Points |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +1.5 (-205) | +122 | Ov 6.5 (-108) |
| Coloradao Avalanche | -1.5 (+173) | -142 | Un 6.5 (-112) |
Tampa Bay Lightning betting breakdown
After last year’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs, there were questions about how things would go for an aging and slowing Tampa Bay Lightning in 2024. This season did not start well for the club, but things are heading in the right direction. Following three straight losses in mid-November, the 2020-2021 Stanley Cup champs are 4-1 in their past five games, with their only loss being a 3-2 overtime setback to the Winnipeg Jets.
On a positive note, Tampa Bay’s 78 goals on the season is the highest team total in the Eastern Conference. However, the team has allowed the second most goals in the East with 75. Some of the Lightning’s struggles can be chalked up to the fact that starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy missed the first 20 games of the 2024 NHL season following back surgery. However, the 2019 Vezina Trophy winner is back in the crease for the team.
Tampa Bay is once again relying on its veterans to carry the club. Nikita Kucherov leads the team in points (35), goals (15) and assists (20). Brayden Point is second on the team in scoring with 29 points. Kucherov is the top point scorer and goal scorer in the NHL.
Colorado Avalanche betting breakdown
The bad news for the Colorado Avalanche is that the team will be without their captain, Gabriel Landeskog, for a second straight season. Landeskog, who was last seen hoisting the Stanley Cup over his head at the end of the 2022 NHL season, underwent his third knee surgery in 14 months in May. The good news is that the team won the Western Conference’s Central Division in 2023 without Landeskog. Colorado finished the year with a 51-24-7 record and 109 points.
The Avalanche is once again playing well without Landeskog, racking up the most goals in the Central Division (76), while allowing the third-fewest goals in that division with 58. Colorado’s plus-18 goal differential is the fourth-highest total in the NHL’s Western Conference this season.
Defenseman Cale Makar is on pace to have the best scoring season of his young NHL career. The 25-year-old leads the team in points (30) and assists (25). The only defenseman with more points than Makar this season is Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks with 33. Mikko Rantanen, who is second in team scoring with 26 points, leads the Avalanche in goals with 12.
Colorado’s starting goaltender, Alexandar Georgiev, is 12-5 on the season with a 2.95 goals against average and a .892 save percentage.
Best bets for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche and Lightning are two of the highest-scoring teams in the NHL this season. With that in mind, the betting pick is for these teams to combine for more than 6.5 goals in tonight’s game.
The Avalanche have been playing well at home this year, but I expect the Lightning to have an edge in this game with the return of their starting goaltender. The betting pick is for the Tampa Bay Lightning to upset the Colorado Avalanche.
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