Stanley Cup Final, Game 5 with BetMGM for $1,000 Risk Free!

Dan Zaksheske Sports Betting Expert

2 minute read

Following another thrilling overtime victory, the Colorado Avalanche are on the brink of winning the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001. They will have a chance to close it out at home in Game 5, but they shouldn’t expect the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning to go down without a fight.

Oddsmakers believe that the Cup will be hoisted tonight, as they have installed the Avs as favorites on the moneyline at -165. If you think Tampa extends the series to a Game 6, you can grab the Lightning at +140. Those odds are courtesy of BetMGM where you can get a $1,000 risk-free bet by using our promo code, VIBONUS!

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Colorado continues to dominate their competition and are now 15-3 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. They handed Tampa its first home loss in the playoffs in over a month on Wednesday and now have a chance to clinch on home ice. The Avalanche are 7-2 in Denver this postseason.

Because Colorado swept two of the previous three rounds, this will be just their second Game 5 played. Their first was a home loss against St. Louis in overtime. That’s the only OT loss the Avs have suffered in the playoffs; they are 5-1 in games that go to extra time.

Tampa Bay is just 5-6 on the road in the playoffs and now face the difficult task of needing to win three straight games, including two at Ball Arena. It’s worth noting that they did win four straight against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final, however, three of those victories came on home ice.

This will not be Tampa’s first experience playing an elimination game in the 2022 playoffs. In the first round, they trailed Toronto 3-2 in the series and rallied to win games six and seven, including a road Game 7 victory.

The stars will need to shine brightly for the Lightning if they hope to climb back into the series. Superstars Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov were both held off the scoresheet in Game 4. In games when Stamkos records at least one point, Tampa Bay is 9-2. When he is held completely off the score sheet, Tampa is just 3-6, including 0-3 against Colorado.

BetMGM offers plenty of ways to bet on the action and you can wager on whether or not you think Stamkos will record a point in the contest. You can even build a one-game parlay and make picks like “Stamkos to record a point and Lightning to win,” which generally correlates as we noted. Just don’t forget to use our promo code, VIBONUS, for a $1,000 risk-free bet!

You could also bet on Kucherov to record a point or score a goal, which again correlates heavily with Tampa Bay’s success. In Tampa’s 13 playoff victories, Kucherov has recorded 21 points (6 goals, 15 assists). In their eight losses, he has just five points and only one goal.

For the Avalanche, Nathan MacKinnon scored a goal in Game 4, his first of the Stanley Cup Final. Tampa will need to keep a close eye on the Avalanche superstar, as he has scored goals in bunches during the playoffs and now has 12 in the postseason, second-most among all skaters (Edmonton’s Evander Kane scored 13 goals).

Written by Dan Zaksheske, our US sports betting industry expert.

Dan Zaksheske

Dan comes to VegasInsider with over a decade of sports media experience. After spending nearly 10 years as a producer at ESPN Radio, Dan decided to combine his two main passions into one career – sports and writing. Dan is a researched-based writer with a strong attention to detail and penchant for turning nerdy sports stats into entertaining commentary. He is an NFL expert with a strong background in MLB, the NHL, and the PGA. Outside of sports and writing, Dan is an admitted cat-enthusiast with three of his own. He is also a rookie umpire who recently began calling games for middle and high school kids. More from Dan Zaksheske