Props Aplenty for Bettors
Winning the Stanley Cup is no mean feat, never mind pulling it off in back-to-back seasons. The Tampa Bay Lightning became the first team to repeat since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016-17 and only the second team to do it since 2000.
The Lightning are in a position to go for the three-peat in this year’s Stanley Cup Finals. No team has won three straight titles since the sepia-toned days of the 1980s, when the New York Islanders won four in a row.
Standing in the Lightning’s way is the Colorado Avalanche – one of the best regular-season teams in recent years but a total no-show in the playoff until this year. Somehow, the Avalanche got it together to quash their doubters and reach the ultimate round of the NHL playoffs.
Can the Lightning win a third straight Stanley Cup? Or will the Avalanche finally triumph? Game 1 is set for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET, and the NHL odds are already in full swing across NHL betting markets.
In this column, we take a special focused look at the NHL props for game one. At BetUS sportsbook, every aspect of the game is covered. Prop bets are available for both team and player categories so bettors will be spoiled for choice. You can bet on the correct score, winning margin, team totals, player shots on goal, game scorers and much, much more.
Join us as we take a special look at a few of these props and deliver choice NHL predictions and picks. For the complete props list, go to the Game 1 props page to get the full list).
Stanley Cup Series Prices
With a little bit over 24 hours before the puck drops on Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, it’s good to have a gander at the opening market. As it is, the Colorado Avalanche emerge as the firm favorites at home. They also have the series cornered in their camp.
- Colorado Avalanche -170
- Tampa Bay Lightning +150
It’s not often a team of Tampa Bay’s quality is at the disadvantage in betting online markets. That alone warrants pounding these odds. Put it simply, the Avalanche have yet to prove they can win it all while the Lightning have proven championship credentials. It’s a no-brainer, surely!
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning to win series +150
First Period Three-Way Betting
- Lightning +225
- Tie +180
- Avalanche +150
Getting off to a quick start will be important to both teams. The Bolts have the experience at this level and that will give them an intangible advantage over the Avs. This includes the confidence to do it and the knowledge about what it takes to run a successful Stanley Cup finals series.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that the Avalanche will rollover. However, they’re bound to be nervous. When players are nervous, mistakes can happen and especially early on in the game.
Pick: Lightning to win first period +225
Correct Score (Full Game)
The options are endless here for bettors and too many to list in their entirety here. (Go to the Game 1 props page to get the full list). Below is a selection of some of the choices that are available.
- Lightning 1-0 +6000
- Lightning 2-0 +4000
- Lightning 2-1 +1800
- Lightning 3-1 +2000
- Lightning 3-2 +1000
- Lightning 4-2 +1600
- Lightning 4-3 +1200
- Lightning 4-1 +2200
- Avalanche 1-0 +5000
- Avalanche 2-0 +4000
- Avalanche 2-1 +1600
- Avalanche 3-1 +1600
- Avalanche 4-1 +1800
- Avalanche 3-2 +900
- Avalanche 4-2 +1400
- Avalanche 4-3 +1100
- Avalanche 6-5 +4000
- Any Other Score +850
Short of a crystal ball, predicting the exact score is practically impossible. This means that a bet on this market is a wild card play.
As per the bookmakers, the best bet is Avalanche to win 3-2, which is priced at +900. The next best bets are: Lightning to win 3-2 (+1000), Avalanche to win 4-3 (+1100), the Lightning to win 4-3 (+1200) and the Avs to win 4-2 (+1400).
Betting this market will depend on how the first game is sliced. In this column, the lean is towards the Lightning to win the first game and to do so convincingly.
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1 (+2200)
Winning Margin
- Lightning by 1 +350
- Lightning by 2 +600
- Lightning by 3 +1000
- Lightning by 4 +1600
- Lightning by 5 or more +3300
- Avalanche by 1 +300
- Avalanche by 2 +500
- Avalanche by 3 +700
- Avalanche by 4 +1000
- Avalanche by 5 or more +1000
The Lightning conceded one goal to the New York Rangers in their last three games of the Eastern Conference finals. They conceded no more than one goal in their series sweep over the Florida Panthers in the second round. Andrei Vasilevskiy is one of the best goalies in the league and one of the stingiest of these playoffs with a 2.27 goals-against average.
Once again, in keeping with the overarching outlook for this game, the Avalanche’s odds are more favorable in this NHL betting market. That said, there’s value on both sides of the coin.
Pick: Lightning to win by 3 (+1000)
“The odds and predictions in the article are based on time of writing and publication. They may differ as to when the actual event takes place.”
