The Tampa Bay Lightning (7-2-0) and Colorado Avalanche (5-4-1) tangle Friday in Denver, Colorado. The opening faceoff at Ball Arena will be at 9 p.m. ET. Let's analyze NHL odds around the Lightning vs. Avalanche odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
2025-26 season series: Tied 1-1 with each team winning at home
Tampa Bay opened a 3-game road swing by defeating the -110 Vegas Golden Knights 6-2 (Over 6.5) Tuesday. RW Nikita Kucherov collected a goal and 2 assists, tying Steven Stamkos for the franchise career scoring lead with 1,137 points. The Lightning have won 3 straight, scoring 14 goals over that stretch.
The Avalanche also played their most recent game Tuesday. Colorado fell 4-3 (Over 6.5) at the -115 New Jersey Devils to drop
their second straight game.
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Lightning at Avalanche odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:51 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Lightning +106 (bet $100 to win $106) | Avalanche -128 (bet $128 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Lightning +1.5 (-230) | Avalanche -1.5 (+184)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +100 | U: -122)
Lightning at Avalanche projected goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy (5-2-0, 2.46 GAA, .898 SV%) vs. Mackenzie Blackwood (4-3-0, 2.90 GAA, .889 SV%)
Vasilevskiy stopped 32 of 34 shots in Tuesday's victory at Vegas. He has won his last 2 starts, turning aside 56 of 61 shots for a .918 SV%.
Blackwood last played Monday, making 21 saves while allowing 3 goals in Colorado's 3-2 loss at Philadelphia. He has registered a .914 SV% over his last 3 starts.
Lightning at Avalanche picks and predictions
Prediction
Lightning 3, Avalanche 2
Moneyline
Tampa Bay has won 4 of its last 5 games vs. Colorado. In series road games (regular season), Tampa is 7 for its last 10 in Denver.
The Avs get more of their overall value from special teams. They have lost 3 of their last 4 games and in that stretch have gone just 1 for 11 on the power play. The Tampa PK held the Knights scoreless in 4 PP opportunities in the Tuesday 6-2 win at Vegas.
In even-strength play, Colorado sticks out as being perhaps too far over its skis when it comes to net goals. The Avalanche have coughed up more high-danger looks than one might suppose. And in such situations on offense, Colorado has thus far logged a fortunate, outlier shooting percentage.
Vasilevskiy faced Colorado twice last season, clocking a .924 SV%. Blackwood's career regular-season history against Tampa Bay: a 1-2-0, 4.80 GAA and .848 SV% in 4 appearances.
Peg the LIGHTNING (+106) as a slight lean.
Puck line/Against the spread
Too much juice: AVOID.
Over/Under
The Under is 5-3 across Tampa's last 8 games, and the Under cashed in last season's 2 meetings.
The Bolts and Avs rank sixth and 12th, respectively in goals-allowed average. In 5-on-5 expected-goal figures, both sides fit in the due-for-regression category. And the early-season scoring numbers for both have come against inferior defensive clubs on average.
Take the UNDER 6.5 (-122).
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This article originally appeared on Sportsbook Wire: Tampa Bay Lightning at Colorado Avalanche odds, picks and predictions
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