NHL Best Bet: Saturday June 18th

The Colorado Avalanche holds a 1 game to 0 lead in the Stanley Cup Finals after a thrilling overtime win in Game 1 on Wednesday night. Needing to get back in the series, our resident NHL expert Ej Garr is turning to a familiar name to light the lamp in Game 2 with lovely odds of 2.80.

NHL Best Bet: June 18

• Colorado vs Tampa Bay: Steven Stamkos to Score a Goal Anytime

Odds as of 5 pm June 17, 2022. Odds may now differ.

Colorado vs Tampa Bay Best Bet

June 19, 01:00 (UK Tme)

Well, I took my shot with the Lightning to win game 1 and the Avalanche ended up taking the win in overtime to leave me 0 – 1 in the Stanley Cup Finals. Hey, accountability is big for me and I just want to get right back on the ice and get that money back, and here’s how we’ll do it.

You may recall cashing our ticket the last time I put Stamkos on the board to score a goal at this same price and sure enough, he lit the lamp that night. One of the big reasons I have to make this the best bet of Game 2 is Stamkos’ ability to create enough space to wind up and let that slapper fly. Stamkos is not an inside scorer who takes up residence in front of the net because he would rather be near the top of the face-off circle to utilize that big shot of his.

Now, if you watched Game 1 you know the scoring wasn’t done by the household names that have done most of the damage in the post-season. Stamkos and MacKinnon were held out of the nets and Mikhail Sergachyov mounted a brace for the Lightning.

What’s scary about the total which I will usually chase is the line is a straight 6 and I imagine that so many people are going to throw their money at the Over. We saw how Tampa Bay can play shut-down hockey and this is one of those games they will have to approach the same way. Going into Denver and getting into a shootout of the high-scoring variety isn’t something the Lightning are afraid to do, but we know their strength has been playing defense, blocking shots, and limiting chances as best they can.

Byt the same token, I totally understand the need to play that Over 6 because we know Tampa Bay also has the ability to throw 50 shots on Darcy Kuemper. The Lightning simply didn’t test the Avalanche netminder enough in Game 1 putting up only 23 shots after getting down 2 – 0 early in the game. Despite giving up 3 1st period goals, the Lightning already showed us the ability to shut down Colorado because they held them off the board for the final 2 periods of the game before overtime arrived. I must admit that when they went to overtime I thought my Tampa Bay play was the best bet of the night but we know how that worked out now.

Anyway, Tampa Bay needs to be back in the series and Steven Stamkos has got to be a part of the scoring in Game 2. I expect one of those stick-benders to hit the puck and the puck to hit the back of the net for the Tampa Bay captain in game 2.

• Selection: Stamkos Anytime Goal Scorer
• Best odds: 2.79 (Pinnacle)
• Stakes 4/10

Odds as of 5 pm June 17, 2022. Odds may now differ.

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