The Colorado Avalanche are set to host Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning from Ball Arena with a 1-0 series lead.

Below, you can look at the Stanley Cup Finals matchup on tonight’s NHL slate and some of our best bets on the FanDuel Sportsbook.

Tampa Bay Lightning (+132) vs. Colorado Avalanche (-160) Total: 6 (O-108, U-112)

The Colorado Avalanche struck first in the Stanley Cup Finals and did so in impressive fashion, winning in overtime thanks to an Andre Burakovsky game-winner. This Tampa Bay Lightning team is one that has been familiar with losing Game 1’s in this playoff run, with three of their four opening matchups resulting in a loss.

It seems that this Lightning team gets stronger as the series progresses, placing some urgency on both teams tonight.  The thing that should be most concerning for the Avs is that the two-time defending Stanley Cup Champions didn’t play close to their best and yet they still found themselves with a chance to win in overtime. Of course, some of Colorado’s best players, namely Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, can play better as well.

Tampa’s Brayden Point rejoined the team for Game 1 after being sidelined with a lower-body injury since Game 7 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1, and he should be better with a game under his belt. They’ve been so good coming off a loss, expect the Lightning to bounce back tonight and side with the solid plus-money value you’re getting with them on the moneyline at +132.

Game 1 saw seven total goals scored, but let’s examine more than just the numbers at face value. If you consider how the goals were scored, it’s hard to see a similar score transpiring again tonight. For starters, Andrei Vasilevskiy is much better than what he showed in the first frame. Moreover, the defensive coverage was lacking from both sides and Victor Hedman, arguably the best defenseman in the world, had a very poor showing. With that in mind, we expect a low-scoring affair tonight in Game 2 and side with the under six at -112. 

Best Bets: Lightning moneyline (+132), Under 6 (-112)