Avalanche vs. Lightning Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Picks: Tampa Looks To Forget Denver Domination

The Colorado Avalanche dominated Game 2 en route to a 7-0 shutout win to take a 2-0 series lead at home. Can the Tampa Bay Lightning get on the board at home as the series shifts to the Amalie Arena? Keep reading for our Stanley Cup Final Game 3 picks between the Lightning and the Avalanche.

The Avalanche are just two wins away from their first Stanley Cup in over 20 years, but the two-time defending champs stand in their way. Colorado easily defeated Tampa Bay in a 7-0 Game 2 win, scoring three goals in the first 13:52 of the first period.

For the Lightning, they return home facing a 2-0 deficit for the second straight series. In the Eastern Conference Final, the Bolts would go on to win four straight to beat the Rangers in six games. It may not be as easy this time for the Lightning to come back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6f6FZoJONgo

Here are my Lightning versus Avalanche picks and predictions for Monday’s matchup (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FoxBet, and FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).

Avalanche vs. Lightning Game Info

Date/Time: Monday, June 20, 8 p.m. ETTV: ABC, ESPN+, CBC, TVAS, SNLocation: Amalie Arena, Tampa Bay, FL

Avalanche vs. Lightning Odds Analysis

The oddsmakers have this set as a pick ‘em across most sportsbooks. The Avalanche are between -110 at DraftKings Sportsbook and -118 at FoxBet after opening at -133. The Lightning opened at +105 but are now between -105 (FoxBet) and -110 (DraftKings)

The total once again opened at six but has dropped to 5.5 at some books. You can get Over 6 at +100 and Under 6 at -120 both at DraftKings and the Over 5.5 (-124) and Under 5.5 (+105) both at BetRivers.

https://twitter.com/johnewing/status/1538169663464431616

Avalanche vs. Lightning Picks

Lightning (-111 via FoxBet) ??Under 6 (-120 via DraftKings) ????Ondrej Palat to score (+245 via FanDuel) ???

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Avalanche vs. Lightning Predictions

Lightning (-111)

Jon Cooper is a good enough coach to make the necessary adjustments for his team, especially returning to home ice. The Lightning are 7-1 at home in the postseason with a goal differential of 29-16. They were also one of the best home teams in the regular season at 27-8-6 and a goal differential of +40 (142-102).

This is only a two-star play, however, due to the Avalanche’s dominance in Game 2. The Lightning failed to generate much offensively with just 17 shot attempts (six on net) in 44:37 at 5-on-5 play, per Natural Stat Trick. I’m counting on the experienced Lightning to save some face with a win on home ice.

Under 6 (-120)

Both games in this series have had seven goals so far, with the Avalanche scoring all seven in Game 2. The Lightning have been much better at home this postseason as mentioned earlier. They should be able to clog up some passing lanes and do a better job of taking time and space away.

On top of that, Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies in the world and knows how to step up on the big stage. This could be another high-flying game, but I see it going to the Under as the Stanley Cup Final tightens up.

Palat to score (+245)

Palat has goals in nine of 19 playoff games and that’s picked up as of late with a marker in six of the last nine contests. On top of that, he has goals in six of eight home games in the playoffs. That includes the game-winner late in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final.

FanDuel is giving us a great line at +245 with Palat being as low as +170 on other books.

Where to Bet on Avalanche-Lightning Picks

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Avalanche-Lightning picks made on 6/19/2022 at 4:31 p.m. ET.