Match 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup final takes place at the Ball Arena on Friday night, and here we bring you our free NHL betting picks on what could be the final match of the series.
Yes, the Colorado Avalanche now stands on the verge of winning their third Stanley Cup title, which would also be their first for over 20 years.
With three matches remaining, Colorado knows they only need to win once to claim the title. Jared Bednar’s team leads the best of seven final by three games to one, and the Ave also has home advantage in Match 5.
The Avalanche have been the champions-elect all the season. At no point have they not been the favorites in the betting to win the 2022 Stanley Cup.
So, with a 3-1 series lead, the only question remaining, is can the Avalanche get the job done in time to spend the weekend celebrating?
So, how did we get to this point where the Colorado Avalanche stands on the verge of winning the best trophy in ice hockey?
Well, the best NHL betting sites have expected this to happen all season. As previously mentioned, the Colorado Avalanche has been the betting favorite all year. This shows how strong they were going into the season, especially when Tampa Bay Lightning has won the previous two Stanley Cups.
The Lightning has barely got close to the Avalanche in the betting this season. The closest was probably at the start of this series when BetOnline had Tampa Bay at +155 and Colorado at -175. Throughout the regular season, there was always a far wider gap.
And it’s not hard to see why either. It was probably a tougher division, but Tampa Bay could only manage a third-place finish in the Atlantic Division. They had 110 points from 82 matches and needed a strong last 10-match run of 7-3-0 to hold off a challenge from the Boston Bruins.
As for Colorado, they finished top of the Central Division with 119 points from their 82 matches. And this includes an easing off at the end of the regular season that saw them finish 4-5-1.
In the final itself, Colorado had the perfect start. Opening up with two matches at the Ball Arena was ideal and allowed them to race into a 2-0 series lead and heap the pressure back onto the defending champions.
After losing Match 2 by a 7-0 scoreline, I was amazed to see Tampa Bay fight back in the way they did in Match 3. Winning that match 6-2 was a monumental effort, and with a home fixture to come in Match 4, it kind of put some pressure back onto the champions-elect.
But in fairness to Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Darcy Kuemper, and co, they were up to the challenge. Match 4 was effectively an interview to see if Colorado was up to the job! Could they deal with the pressure of moving within touching distance of their ultimate goal? And this up against a team going for a hat-trick of wins!
A loss in Match 4 for Colorado would have seen all the doubters start to doubt more. There would have been words like bottlers entering the narrative, so it was imperative they won last night.
It was tight, it was tense, and for once, Colorado goaltender Darcy Kuemper was the busiest goalie of the night. But ultimately, Colorado came through their stiffest test and won out 3-2 in O|T thanks to a goal by Nazem Kadri after 12 minutes and 2 seconds of the first overtime period.
I suspect that could be the most important goal of his career!
What better way to claim the Stanley Cup, than by doing so in front of your own fans! That’s what Colorado will want to do at the Ball Arena on Friday night, and after last night’s 3-2 win over Tampa Bay at the Amalie Arena, I think it will happen. I now just don’t see any way back for the Floridians.
The latest Las Vegas NHL odds on Match 5 suggest the top sportsbooks feel the same.
Moneyline
Puck Line
Total Goals
Would I be surprised to see Tampa Bay win this match? Not really. They are the two-time defending champions. But if I’m going to wager with my head, the form only points to a home win.
Two of Colorado’s three wins have come via the odd goal, the other, a seven-goal landslide. I feel that if Colorado gets in front here, they could finish the season in style, and we could be in for another one-sided victory.
So for my NHL betting pick, I’m backing the Colorado Avalanche to win on the Puck Line at odds of +155.
If Colorado does win in style, it could be a goal-fest. So, I’m also anticipating a few goals in the process, so my second betting pick is over 6 goals.
