The Lightning aim for a three-peat as Stanley Cup champions but the favored Avalanche stand in their way. Here are the series odds and best bets to place.
After some exhilarating NHL playoff action over the last month, we are finally down to the final two teams in the chase for Lord Stanley’s Cup.
The 2022 Stanley Cup Final will commence Wednesday when the Eastern Conference champion Lightning will face the Western Conference champion Avalanche in their quest for a three-peat.
Oddsmakers at SI Sportsbook have installed Colorado as a strong -188 favorite to deny Steven Stamkos and the Lightning in their bid to become the first club to win three straight Cups since the Islanders won four in a rows in the early 1980s.
Tampa Bay displayed its championship pedigree in beating the Rangers in six games despite losing the first two games. The Lightning beat the Rangers, 2-1, on Saturday night, winning four consecutive games on the strength of goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy. After closing out the Rangers, the star goalie is a perfect 3-0 while boasting a .980 save percentage in elimination games this postseason.
By the time the Final begins, it will have been 10 days since NHL bettors watched Colorado sweep Edmonton in the Western Conference Final. The Avalanche, who dominated Connor McDavid and the Oilers, are an impressive 12-2 in the playoffs after sweeping Nashville in the first round and getting by St. Louis in six games.
Let’s dive in and take a deeper look at the Stanley Cup Final and see where the respected early money in Vegas has arrived!
Bet on the Stanley Cup Final at SI Sportsbook
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
2022 Stanley Cup Final Betting Odds
No. 1 Colorado Avalanche (-188) vs. No. 3 Tampa Bay Lightning (+155)
Head-to-head regular-season matchup: Colorado, 2-0
The Lightning (+155) offer solid value to bettors thanks to their playoff experience.
The defending Stanley Cup champions showed grit and determination in turning back the young Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final. Tampa Bay, who displayed dominance in its four-game sweep of the Presidents Trophy-winning Panthers in the second round, found a tougher test in Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers.
Once again, the stars stepped up for Tampa Bay against New York after losing the first two games of the series. Forward Nikita Kucherov (seven goals, 16 assists; 23 points) and captain Steven Stamkos (nine goals, six assists; 15 points) made the biggest plays at the most pivotal times, combining for 15 points in the series.
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Kucherov was instrumental in leading a massive comeback in Game 3 when Tampa Bay was on the brink of going down 3-0 in the series. The powerful winger cut the Rangers’ lead to 2-1 one minute after Chris Kreider staked New York to a two-goal lead in the second period. Kucherov topped off the win with an incredible, no-look drop pass to set up Ondrej Palat’s game-winning goal with 42 seconds remaining.
In Game 6, Stamkos stepped up scoring both goals in a 2-1 elimination victory, highlighted by the game-winning goal just 21 seconds after Frankie Vatrano had tied the game for New York at the 13:07 mark of the third period.
Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Andrei Vasilevskiy, who gave up nine goals in the first two games against New York, showed why he is one of the best of the goalies in the sport, only surrendering five goals over the next four games. The dominant goalie reverted back to his championship form he displayed in the previous round when he posted a 4-0 record with a 1.33 GAA against a Florida squad that led the NHL in regular-season scoring.
Overall, the two-time Stanley Cup Champion has compiled a remarkable 12-5 record with a 2.27 GAA with .928 save percentage in the postseason and he gives the Lightning a tremendous advantage in between the pipes over whomever Colorado starts in net on the opposite end of the ice.
Colorado heads into the showdown with Tampa Bay extremely well rested after the benefit only playing 14 games en route to the Stanley Cup Final. Oddsmakers at SI Sportsbook have placed strong importance on the ability to rest up and heal from injuries leading to the Avalanche being installed as strong prohibitive betting favorites (-188) to potentially win their third Stanley Cup in team history (1996, 2001).
The performance of Colorado defenseman Cale Makar in this year’s playoffs cannot be understated. The 23-year old star, who scored 28 goals while anchoring the blue line in the regular season, continues to impress in the playoffs. He leads all defenseman in scoring with five goals and 17 assists (22 points) in just 14 games.
After facing New York’s lethal power play unit that led all clubs converting at a 32.1% in the playoffs, Tampa Bay now has to contend with Makar (eight power-play points) working the point for a Colorado’s special teams unit that has clicked at 31.1%.
Despite Gabriel Landeskog having the “C” sewn on his jersey, Nathan MacKinnon is arguably the leader of the Avalanche, pacing the team with 11 playoff goals. Mikko Rantanen, who led the club in goals (36) in the regular season, was struggling to find the back of the net in the first two rounds with just one goal in 10 games. However, the 25-year-old winger exploded for four goals against Edmonton in the Western Conference Final. The electric Rantanen has also set up his teammates in many critical situations, posting the second-most assists (12) on the team only behind Makar.
Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports
Goalies Darcy Kuemper (6-2, 2.65 GAA, .897 save percentage) and Pavel Francouz (6-0, 2.86 GAA, .906 save percentage) have led the Avs to a 12-2 mark in the playoffs. Kuemper has been out of the lineup since getting hurt in Game 1 against Edmonton. Against the Oilers, Francouz stepped in and won three straight games while sporting a .920 save percentage. With Kuemper now healthy, head coach Jared Bednar easily has the biggest coaching decision of his career determining who will earn the start.
All bettors also need to monitor the injury situation for both clubs. Colorado is “hopeful” Nazem Kadri will return from his thumb surgery in time for the Stanley Cup Final. Kadri was injured following the vicious hit he sustained at the hands of Edmonton’s Evander Kane in the Western Conference Final. The club is also hopeful veteran forward Andrew Cogliano (finger) will be in the lineup against Tampa Bay.
On the flip side, Tampa Bay star center Brayden Point, who may the club’s best two-way player, is reportedly very close to returning. Point (lower body) was injured in Game 7 of the first round against Toronto and has missed 10 straight games. His return would be a massive boast for the Lightning’s chances to accomplish the three-peat.
2022 Stanley Cup Final Bets
As we always share here only at SI Betting, respected money from Las Vegas continues to make successful investments. In our first-round NHL betting preview, respected money from Las Vegas won all of their wagers backing three underdogs. However, in the second and third round the wise-guy money in the desert came up short. Despite not attaining the desired upsets by either Edmonton or New York, respected money is once again backing an underdog in the Stanley Cup Final at healthy plus-odds. For Tampa Bay to accomplish the three-peat, Vasilevskiy has to be the dominant X-factor. Therefore, his +400 odds in the Conn Smythe market is a double-pop investment that makes sense.
BEST BETS: Tampa Bay (+155); Conn Smythe Winner - Andrei Vasilevskiy (+400)
2022 Respected Money NHL Series Playoff Betting Recap
Series Straight Bets: 3-2
Exotic Series Parlay: 1-1
Overall: +1.97 units
Frankie Taddeo is a successful high-stakes fantasy football player who created the first-ever DFS program ever offered in a Las Vegas sportsbook. Frankie is SI Betting's Senior Analyst and provides his significant experience and resources in the sports betting scene. You can follow Frankie on Twitter @Frankie_Fantasy for his latest betting and fantasy insights from Las Vegas.
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