Avalanche vs. Lightning Stanley Cup Game 3 odds, trends: Bettors backing Colorado for 3-0 series lead; Brayden Point questionable

While Game 1 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final between Colorado and Tampa Bay could have gone either way, Game 2 was a historic rout for the Avalanche to take a 2-0 series lead over the two-time defending champion Lightning. Game 3 is tonight at 8 p.m. ET in Tampa and basically a pick'em at Caesars Sportsbook with a total of 6 goals. Bettors at Caesars Sportsbook have heavy leans on both. Click here for expert picks.

In the shocking 7-0 victory in Game 2, the Avalanche won their seventh straight game and became the third team in NHL history to register a shutout in the Stanley Cup Final by a margin of seven or more goals. It was the biggest playoff margin of defeat in Lightning history. Since 2020, they had been 9-2 in the second games of series, allowing just 1.91 goals against per game.

After that performance, it's perhaps not a surprise that 66 percent of the money on the moneyline tonight is on the Avalanche and 64 percent of tickets. Both games have totaled 7 goals, and 73 percent of tickets and 65 percent of money are on the over 6.0. This writer is a bit surprised the books haven't adjusted the total to 6.5.

Colorado is on a seven-game road winning streak, tied for the second longest in playoff history behind only the 2012 Kings (10-0). Tampa Bay is on a seven-game home winning streak, a franchise playoff record. This will be the first game in Stanley Cup Final history between clubs on active home and road winning streaks each of at least seven games. The home team has won each of the first three games in a Stanley Cup Final only 24 times, most recently in 2017 (Penguins-Predators). Home teams have won 53 of 85 games played this postseason (62 percent).

Tampa Bay top-six forward Brayden Point is a game-time call for Game 3 and didn't take part in the morning skate. He had played in both games of this series after not playing since Game 7 of the first round against Toronto due to injury. Point had an assist in Game 1 vs. the Avs and is a crucial part of Tampa's power play, which is yet to score in this series. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy missed the morning skate as well but is fine and will play. He has been shockingly bad in this series but much better at home in these playoffs at 7-1 with a 1.69 GAA.

Avalanche top-six forwards Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri are both "day-to-day" but it sounds like neither will play. Kadri hasn't yet appeared in this series because of a recent thumb surgery and Burakovsky injured his hand in Game 2. He had the game-winning OT goal in Game 1 and a goal and assist in Game 2 before leaving. (See Game 3 tickets at StubHub).

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