Avalanche vs. Lightning Odds, Picks, Predictions: Stanley Cup Rematch in Tampa Bay

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Last season's Stanley Cup finalists, the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning, meet Thursday in Tampa Bay. Read on for our best Avalanche vs. Lightning pick based on top odds.

When Stanley Cup contenders meet in the regular season, the matchup represents a great opportunity for both sides to see how they measure up.

Although the Avalanche have not been playing like Cup contenders for most of this season, a lot of their problems can be tied to injuries. Now they're getting healthier – and it shows, as they have a 7-1-1 record in the past nine games.

After a slow start to the season (7-6-1 through 14 games), the Lightning have won 25 of 36 games. Only the Boston Bruins have more victories over that span.

Here is our best Avalanche vs. Lightning NHL pick (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

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Avalanche vs. Lightning pick

One thing to count on in an Avalanche-Lightning matchup is that there will always be an abundance of elite talent on the ice.

Colorado is still missing captain Gabriel Landeskog, but the lineup has been bolstered by improving health elsewhere. Now that Colorado has most of its horses ready to go, it can handle a high-scoring game much better than it could earlier in the season.

Mikko Rantanen leads the Avs with 34 goals and is the only Colorado skater with more than 15 goals. But Colorado has six other skaters with at least 10 goals, while Valeri Nichushkin has eight goals in just 21 games.

The Lightning have gone for a total of six goals or more in 12 of their past 14 games, so that should set the environment for a higher-scoring game.

Check out our latest Stanley Cup odds.

Avalanche vs. Lightning best odds

DraftKings	FanDuel	BetMGM	Caesars	PointsBet
-115	-112 ??	-120	-120	-121 ??

Shopping for the best price can make a difference with every wager. While prop bets might have a wider variance in price, there is value to be found by capturing smaller edges on sides and totals, too.

FanDuel has the best price on the board at -112, a little better than DraftKings at -115. The rest of the top-rated sportsbooks are hovering around -120, so it makes sense to get the edge provided by making this wager at FanDuel.