Tampa Bay Lightning vs Colorado Avalanche Prediction, Preview and Odds - 10/23/2026

Game Time: 9:00 pm ET, Friday, October 23, 2026

Venue:  Ball Arena, Denver, CO

Where to Watch:  ESPN+

DraftKings:  Moneyline:  Lightning +105, Avalanche -125; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

Bet365:  Moneyline:  Lightning +105, Avalanche -125; Over/Under:  6.5 goals

BetMGM:  Moneyline:  Lightning +105, Avalanche -125; Over/Under:  6 goals

Tampa Bay Lightning:  7-2-0 (2nd place, Atlantic Division)

Colorado Avalanche:  5-4-1 (4th place, Central Division)

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Tampa Bay Lightning:  7-2-0 last 9

Colorado Avalanche:  5-4-1 last 10

The Lightning are entering this game with 14 points, a 7-2-0 record overall, and they are 2-2-0 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Vegas Golden Knights in their last game, winning that one on the road 6-2. Anthony Cirelli led the team in goals scored with 2 while Nikita Kucherov, Brandon Hagel, John Carlson, and Victor Hedman each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Nikita Kucherov led the team in assists with 2 while John Carlson led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Andrei Vasilevskiy was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 34 shots with 32 saves and a .941 save percentage. Their offense has scored 31 goals this season averaging 3.4 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 23 goals against them allowing 2.6 goals per game.

The Avalanche are entering this game with 11 points, a 5-4-1 record overall, and they are 3-1-1 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the New Jersey Devils in their last game, losing that one on the road 4-3. Artturi Lehkonen led the team in goals scored with 2 while Gabriel Landeskog scored 1 goal for them in that one. Cale Makar led the team in assists with 2 while Nathan MacKinnon led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. Scott Wedgewood was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 40 shots with 37 saves and a .925 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 41 goals this season averaging 4.1 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 31 goals against them allowing 3.1 goals per game.

The current betting odds have the Avalanche listed as a slight favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Avalanche have looked good in their games this season with their 5-4-1 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the West. They have looked good on home ice too with their 3-1-1 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Lightning have looked great in their games this season with their 7-2-0 record overall which has them right near the top of their division in the East. They haven't been a great road team though with their 2-2-0 road record this year. The Lightning have been rolling lately with a great offense to start the year and they are coming off a 6-2 road win over the Golden Knights in their last one. They haven't looked nearly as good in their road games this season though and this is a tough situation for them. The Avalanche haven't had the hot start to the season that they would have wanted, but this was the best team in the regular season last year and they are going to get going. They are coming off a tight 4-3 road loss to the Devils in their last one and now they have lost 2 games in a row, but they are coming back home and will be looking to bounce back. They have been a solid home team to start the season and they are going to have a lot more motivation to bounce back after losing 2 bad games on the road. Look for the Avalanche to edge out the Lightning at home. The best way to place a bet here is on the Avalanche to win this game. 

Lightning Avalanche Prediction:  Our NHL Pick for Friday, October 23, 2026 (9:00 pm ET start time) is Avalanche 4 Lightning 1.

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Tampa Bay Lightning: 47-21 (+11.2 units) on the moneyline in non-conference games. 19-7 (+9.4 units) on the moneyline after a blowout win by 4 goals or more. 67-36 (+5.3 units) on the moneyline against terrible defensive teams - allowing 3+ goals/game. 20-11 UNDER versus very good teams - outscoring their opponents by 0.5+ goals/game.

Colorado Avalanche: 120-74 (-8.3 units) on the moneyline in all games. 61-46 (-9.3 units) on the moneyline as a favorite of -200 or less. 47-39 (-9.5 units) on the moneyline when playing against a team with a winning record. 29-19 UNDER when the money line is -100 to -150.

Tampa Bay Lightning:  Y. Gourde (C) Out - Hip.

Colorado Avalanche:  L. O'Connor (RW) Out - Lower-body. N. Roy (C) Out - Lower Body. Z. L'Heureux (LW) Out - Upper Body. G. Merkulov (C) Out - Undisclosed.

“That’s what he does. He’s a special talent. Guys like him don’t come around. He’s given our fans a decade of awesome.” - Jon Cooper on Nikita Kucherov after his team’s win against the Golden Knights in their game on Tuesday. 

"Sluggish and sloppy. Execution was a big factor for us tonight, and the pace we were playing at. Sloppy, and passes weren't good, handling passes wasn't good. It's hard to go anywhere when you're beating the puck up, and that's what I thought we did for the bulk of the game." - Jared Bednar after his team’s loss against the Flyers in their game on Monday.

LW Brandon Hagel

C Anthony Cirelli

RW Nikita Kucherov

LD Janis Jérôme Moser

RD John Carlson

G Andrei Vasilevskiy

LW Artturi Lehkonen

C Nathan MacKinnon

RW Martin Necas

LD Devon Toews

RD Cale Makar

G MacKenzie Blackwood

Points: Nikita Kucherov (13)

Goals: Brandon Hagel (7)

Assists: Nikita Kucherov (9)

GAA: Dennis Hildeby (2.01)

Points: Nathan MacKinnon (16)

Goals: Artturi Lehkonen (8)

Assists: Nathan MacKinnon (10)

GAA: Scott Wedgewood (2.65)

Coaches:

Tampa Bay Lightning: Jon Cooper (15th season)

Colorado Avalanche: Jared Bednar (11th season)