The Colorado Avalanche are on the cusp of winning their first Stanley Cup since 2001 after downing the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in Game 4. The series heads back to Denver for Game 5, where the Avs will have a chance to end it on home ice.
Here’s a look at two prop bets in NHL betting:
Time of First Goal
Time: 00:01 – 08:59
Odds: (-135)
If this prop is going to continue to hit, I will continue betting on it.
Each game between the Avs and Lightning has featured a goal in the first nine minutes of play. The first goals in Game 1, Game 2, Game 3, and Game 4 came at 7:47, 2:54, 8:19, and 0:36. Gabriel Landeskog has twice been the first goalscorer in Games 1 and 3, Valeri Nichushkin opened the scoring for Game 2, and Anthony Cirelli had the first goal in Game 4.
The Avs have seen a goal in the opening nine minutes 14 times in 18 games, while the Lightning have seen it ten of 21 times.
It’s hard to predict whether the game will be a blowout or go to overtime, but either way, there should be an early goal to start things off. At -135, expect an early goal between one of these two teams.
Period With Most Goals
Period: Second
Odds: +165
Entering the series, the second period was not the frame that featured the most combined goals of these two teams. However, each game has seen multiple goals scored in the second period thus far.
Against the Lightning, the Avs have scored four goals in the second, three short of its first period total of seven, while it’s the opposite for the Bolts, scoring four in the first and seven in the second. However, in Game 4, only the Lightning managed to find the back of the net in the opening frame, and Colorado has yet to allow a third-period goal in this series. At a combined 11 goals, the first and second periods have an equal chance of featuring the most goals, but in a pivotal Game 5, it could take a minute to open up offensively.
Over the entire playoffs, the Avalanche and Lightning have combined for 49 second-period goals, eight more than the opening frame and one more than the third period. The second period is also Colorado’s most productive with 27 goals, while it’s Tampa Bay’s second-highest scoring period by one goal at 22.
At +165, the value is too great to pass up.
NHL Parlay Picks at BetMGM
BetMGM has you covered not only during the Stanley Cup playoffs, but throughout the NHL season. But the NHL playoffs are the perfect time for making NHL parlay picks in between examining the latest Stanley Cup betting odds.
