Steve Starr
- The Avalanche (-175) are favored to topple the two-time champion Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final
- Centers Brayden Point and Nazem Kadri are expected to return for the best-of-seven-series
- Game 1 will take place on Wednesday, June 15 at Ball Arena in Colorado
This year’s Stanley Cup Final couldn’t be juicier from a storyline perspective. The Tampa Bay Lightning are only four wins away from becoming the first NHL team to three-peat since the early 1980s, while the Colorado Avalanche are attempting to scale the mountaintop for the first time since 2001.
Before the puck drops on Wednesday night, let’s check the series prices and the prop for the ‘correct series score’. Here’s also where you can find the top betting sites for NHL hockey in 2022 and smart wagering tips in our 2022 Stanley Cup betting guide.
Stanley Cup Final – Series Prices and Props
 |  |
|
| Lightning Series Prices | +155 | +160 |
| Avalanche Series Prices | -175 | -185 |
| Avalanche 4-1 | +400 | |
| Avalanche 4-2 | +400 | |
| Avalanche 4-3 | +400 | |
| Lightning 4-2 | +575 | |
| Lightning 4-3 | +600 | |
| Avalanche 4-0 | +800 | |
| Lightning 4-1 | +1000 | |
| Lightning 4-0 | +1400 |
Avalanche vs Lightning
Colorado is a -175 favorite to hoist the franchise’s first Stanley Cup in more than two decades. The Avalanche have cruised through the postseason with a six-game round 2 series victory over the St. Louis Blues sandwiched between sweeps of the Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers.
Tampa Bay is a +160 underdog to cement their dynasty with a third-consecutive championship. The battle-tested Lightning gutted out a first-round win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games despite trailing three times in the series, and then followed up a sweep of the Panthers by overcoming a 2-0 series deficit to eliminate the Rangers in six games.
Avalanche. Lightning. The #StanleyCup Final matchup is set. Game 1 in Denver on Wednesday 🍿🔥🏆 pic.twitter.com/aErJCHnuvW
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 12, 2022
Correct Series Score?
Following the Lightning’s six-game triumph over New York, captain Steven Stamkos admitted his club was expecting to play the Avalanche in each of the past two Finals, only to end up with the Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens following the usual flurry of playoff upsets. There’s no doubt Colorado is the best team on paper that the Bolts have played throughout their three-year run. But, should a team that has won 11 straight postseason series ever be viewed as an underdog?
As is stands right now, you can get the Avs to win the series in 5, 6 or 7 games at +400 and a sweep at +800. Meanwhile, the two-time reigning champs are at +575 to win the series in 6, +600 in 7, +1000 in 5 and +1400 in a four-game sweep.
The tale of the tape
The Avalanche have a surplus of skill with Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen and captain Gabriel Landeskog among many others. However, Tampa Bay can go toe-toe talent-wise with Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Brayden Point, who is probable to return for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals after missing rounds 2 and 3 with a lower body injury.
While Nazem Kadri should also return to the Colorado lineup at some point in the series, Point’s presence can’t be underestimated. With 30 career playoff goals, no player has scored more goals over the past three NHL postseasons than the 26-year-old centre.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, everybody. 🤯 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/5pSIvWTHGg
— NHL (@NHL) May 24, 2022
Series prediction
The Lightning have perfected the grind-it-out style that has led to all of Colorado’s recent playoff failures. With a decisive edge in experience and goaltending, Tampa Bay will win the series (+160).
Darcy Kuemper will be back in net for the Avalanche after missing most of the Western Conference Final with an undisclosed upper-body injury. But, Andrei Vasilevskiy has been borderline unbeatable in elimination games and could be poised for a Conn Smythe Trophy repeat. We like the Lightning to finish the series on home ice in Game 6 (+575).
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
