Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Colorado Avalanche had no shortage of entertainment, setting up what should be a wild set of games ahead.

After a red-hot start from the Avs, the two-time defending champions closed the gap and forced overtime before Colorado finally put them away.

As we look ahead to Game 2 tonight, there is plenty of information to sift through from the first game to advise our betting strategy. Let’s take a look at the odds for Game 2 and at some of the best bets to make.

Odds courtesy of BetMGM.

Tampa got punched in the mouth early in Game 1. Perhaps it was the altitude, but Colorado came out with more speed and energy, and the home crowd exploded as they scored the first two goals of the game, and three in the first period.

This is what teams with a championship mentality do, though – they weather the storms. After giving up three goals in the first stanza, Tampa Bay came all the way back to tie it without allowing another goal until overtime. 

Andrei Vasilevskiy is capable of being a difference maker between the pipes, and I don’t anticipate him getting off to a slow start like he did in Game 1. Tampa Bay is 4-1 straight up following a loss in this year’s playoffs. They aren’t going to allow this series to get away from them.

Nikita Kucherov has taken 61 shots in 18 playoff games this year. As of late, he has been looking more aggressive, and has brought plenty of pressure to opposing defenses. Kucherov leads both teams remaining in these playoffs with 24 points. 

Kucherov is also a key contributor on the power play. He has five power play goals in this year’s playoffs. Similarly to my reasoning above, I believe that Kucherov and the Lightning are going to want to attack early and often to make sure this series doesn’t get away from them. At these long of odds, he’s well worth a look for first goal scorer.

There were four goals scored in the first period of Game 1. This series is going to have plenty of offense, which is no surprise considering the Lightning and the Avalanche were both in the top-seven in total goals scored during the regular season. As the year flipped to the playoffs, the Avalanche have scored the most of any team in these playoffs, with the Lightning sitting at fourth.

With plenty of big name offensive players and an attacking mindset on both sides, offense should be expected to come in bunches. +225 odds for a total of three goals scored in the first period is a bet worth making.