Vegas Betting Against Andrei Vasilevskiy, Lightning Despite Surreal Record in Elimination Games
By Ben Heisler
The oddsmakers in Vegas always seem to be a step ahead of everyone else, but in the case of handicapping the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions, they've been forced to keep adjusting.
Ahead of Game 5 with the Colorado Avalanche up 3-1 in their series vs. the Tampa Bay Lightning, WynnBET Sportsbook traders listed the Avalanche to win the Stanley Cup Final in five games as the most likely scenario on the board, coming in at odds of +220. Instead, the Lightning survived; forcing the series back to Tampa for Game 6 tonight.
WynnBET has the Avalanche as slight moneyline favorites on the road at -115 odds, with the home Lightning at -105.
If the Avalanche are to hoist their first cup in 21 seasons, they're going to have to get through Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who's put up exceptional numbers in these particular spots over their Stanley Cup run.
Via Sportsnet, since 2020 Vasilevskiy is undefeated in four games when his team is facing elimination; allowing 1.75 goals against with a save percentage of 94.5%.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is next level when facing elimination. 🥶 #StanleyCup | #GoBolts | via @SNstats pic.twitter.com/JBxBqGKIfZ
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 25, 2022
Colorado has lost only one game on the road this entire postseason; a 6-2 blowout in Game 3 at AMALIE Arena in Tampa before taking a 3-1 lead in Game 4 on an overtime goal to win 3-2. The loss for Vasilevskiy and the Lightning stopped a six game win streak on home ice. In his last seven games in Tampa, he's stopped 236 of 246 shots, adding up to a 1.39 goals against average and .959 save percentage.
If the Lightning are to win on Sunday, via ESPN Stats and Info, they'll be the first team since the 2006 Edmonton Oilers to force a Game 7 after being down 3-1 in the series, and the seventh team in NHL history to force a Game 7 after their opponent took a 3-1 lead.
The Avalanche (-115) are listed at -1 (+145) on the puck line tonight at WynnBET while the Lightning (-105) are +1 (-175). The total is once again set at 6, with heavy juice on the under (-125) compared to the over (+105).
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