By Ryan Bologna
The Stanley Cup will be in the building tonight for game five of the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning did all they could to tie up the series in game four, but the Avalanche were just too much as they won the game 3-2 in overtime to take a 3-1 lead in the series. No one should count out the two-time defending champions until it is over, but this will be the toughest ask yet for the Lightning. Here are some bets to consider ahead of game five.
Over: 6 Goals
We told you to take the over early on in the series, and with the way this series has gone, it is still the right play in game five. The over has hit in three out of four games so far, including both games that took place in Colorado. The Avalanche have scored four or more goals in six of their nine home games in this playoff run. Andrei Vasilevskiy will surely face a lot of pressure in this game, and as we saw in overtime of game four, there is only so much a goalie can do in that situation.
Injuries play a part too. Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak is questionable after suffering an injury in game four. His absence was glaring, as the Avalanche dominated play as the game went on. Even if the Lightning are down four goals late in the game tonight, they still might pull the goalie because it is an elimination game. Everything is pointing to the over.
Cale Makar: Over 0.5 Assists
The 2022 Norris Trophy winner has settled into this series. Cale Makar had an assist in each of the last two games. With the injuries the Lightning face, there should be a ton of room for the elite playmaking defenseman. Betting on Makar to record over 0.5 points could also be a good bet, but the odds are set at -250. Over 0.5 assists for Makar is a similar bet with much better odds at -145.
Imagine making the Stanley Cup Final look this easy?
This is a defenseman.
Shorthanded.
Cale Makar is absurd. pic.twitter.com/n9O6Pfn6PQ
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) June 19, 2022
A Value Play: Lightning To Win The Stanley Cup
You just saw a ton of reasons to expect the Avalanche to win tonight, but the value is just too good to pass up with this bet. The Lightning currently have +800 odds to win the Stanley Cup, and while a comeback is unlikely, they have the talent to pull it off. If Tampa Bay can steal game five it gets interesting. They would have a winnable game six at home, then it would be back to Colorado for game seven. Even a small bet on the Lightning to win the series could be worth a shot.
Photo Credit: kovop58
