Avalanche vs Lightning Picks |. 02-09-2023

There is absolutely no question all eyes will be on a Stanley Cup Finals rematch Thursday evening as the reigning champion Colorado Avalanche head down to Florida to face the Tampa Bay Lightning. The puck will drop at 7 PM ET at Amalie Arena. The Avs are coming off a crushing OT loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday evening, while Tampa also fell to the San Jose Sharks in an extra period. Both squads will be looking to bounce back in a big way here. Keep reading for the Avalanche vs Lightning picks.

Before we get into the odds and predictions for this game make sure to check out our online sportsbook reviews, and the top NHL betting sites.

Avalanche vs Lightning Odds

Team
Colorado Avalanche	+118	+110	+105
Tampa Bay Lightning	-130	-130	-129

The Lightning is the moneyline favorite here, with -130 odds at both BetOnline and Bovada. The Avs come back at +118 and +110 at those two respective sportsbooks.

This is actually the first meeting between the two since Colorado beat Tampa in six games in the Finals last season. Needless to say, revenge will be on the Lightning's mind.

Colorado vs Tampa Bay Preview

After winning it all in 2022, things haven't gone to plan for Colorado this season, but it's not exactly their fault, either. Injuries have proven to be a massive problem for this club. Gabriel Landeskog, one of the Avalanche's best players, has yet to play this campaign, although he's expected to be back soon. Several others have spent time on the shelf too, with Bo Byram and Valeri Nichushkin recently returning after missing time with health issues. At the moment, the Avs sit in eighth place in the Western Conference with a 27-18-4 record. While they're currently occupying a playoff spot, there are numerous teams right on their heels.

Nevertheless, Jared Bednar's group is in good shape lately, going 7-2-1 in their previous 10 outings, despite the loss to the Pens. Nathan MacKinnon put Colorado ahead in the second period before Bryan Rust equalized for Pittsburgh late in the third period. Then in overtime, Kris Letang buried the winner courtesy of assists from Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Not an ideal result for the Avalanche, but they'll be confident for Thursday's matchup considering the outcome of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals.

The Lightning once again looks like a serious contender out East with a solid 32-16-2 record in a very competitive conference. Tampa Bay is sitting in fifth and just four points off third place New Jersey. As per usual, they're a lethal offensive team, ranking fourth in the NHL in goals scored with 3.56. Brayden Point is the leading catalyst with 31 goals and 26 assists, while Nikita Kucherov is also enjoying a ridiculous season, scoring 20 times and tallying 55 assists. Steven Stamkos has 24 goals, too. There are seven players sitting in double-figures in goals, which shows just how well-rounded the Bolts' attack truly is.

That being said, Tampa has lost two straight games since the All-Star break, one in embarrassing fashion, and the other in OT. The Panthers throttled them 7-1 on Monday before the lowly Sharks pulled one out by a score of 4-3 Tuesday. The Lightning held a 3-1 lead heading into the second period but completely took their foot off the gas pedal and ended up suffering a defeat because of it. On a more positive note, the Bolts are 20-2-4 at home in 2022-23. That's definitely a great sign for Thursday's potential outcome.