Lightning vs. Avalanche NHL Odds, Prediction and Picks: MacKinnon, Kucherov Headline Friday Showdown
Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche are set for a heavyweight battle on Friday night at Ball Arena in Denver.
The Lightning head to Colorado as a part of their current three-game road trip out west. Tampa Bay took down Las Vegas 6-2 on Tuesday to start the trip.
Colorado is looking to bounce back after suffering back-to-back road losses to the Flyers and Devils. The Avalanche will be happy to be back on home ice where they are 3-1-1 so far this season.
Lightning vs. Avalanche NHL Betting Odds
Money Line: Lightning (+105), Avalanche (-125)
Puck Line: Lightning +1.5 (-238), Avalanche -1.5 (+195)
Goal Total: Over 6.5 (+102)/ Under 6.5 (-122)
Oddsmakers expect a close contest, but they are giving a slight edge to the Avalanche. Playing on home ice, Colorado enters with moneyline odds of -125, while Tampa Bay has odds of +105 to find the win column.
On the puck line, Avalanche -1.5 is valued at +195, while Lightning +1.5 is -238. The game total is set at 6.5, with odds of +102 on the Over and -122 on the Under.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning enter this Friday night showdown with a record of 7-2-0 on the young season. The Bolts have won three games in a row and seven of their last eight. Tampa Bay is a perfect 5-0-0 at home but just 2-2-0 on the road.
After posting 121 points last season, Nikita Kucherov has already racked up 13 points through nine games to start the 2026-27 campaign. Brandon Hagel is also off to a hot start with 12 points that includes a team-leading seven goals.
The Lightning are averaging a strong 3.44 goals per game, which ranks 9th in the NHL. However, the power play is operating at just a 12.9% clip, which ranks 29th.
In net, Andrei Vasilevskiy is 5-2-0 with a 2.46 goals-against average and .898 save percentage through seven starts.
Colorado Avalanche
The Avalanche own a record of 5-4-0 in their first nine games of the 2026-27 season. They are coming off back-to-back losses to Philadelphia and New Jersey, and have won consecutive games just once this season.
Nathan MacKinnon put up 127 points last season, and already has 16 points to his name this season. Martin Necas, Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen all have 11 points for Colorado.
Colorado’s offensive attack is firing on all cylinders to begin the new season. The Avs are scoring 4.10 goals per game, which ranks 2nd in the NHL and trails only Edmonton’s 4.56 goals per game.
Between the pipes, Mackenzie Blackwood is 4-3-0 with a 2.90 goals-against average and .889 save percentage.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Lightning vs. Avalanche?
Both of these teams bring plenty of talent to the table. But the edge in this one goes to the home team.
Colorado’s sense of urgency is likely to be extremely high after suffering back-to-back losses earlier this week. The Avs are typically extremely strong at home, while the Lightning haven’t been the same team on the road than they’ve been at home this season. Specifically, the Bolts are 5-0-0 at home and 2-2-0 on the road.
Looking to bounce back, the Avs seem to be in a good spot here.
TB
COL