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Tampa Bay (6-4-2) at Colorado (7-1-5)
- When: Nov 4 2025, 9:30 PM
- Where: Ball Arena, Denver, CO, USA
- TV: TNT
Tampa Bay vs Colorado NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Colorado -147
Spread: Colorado -1.5 (+170)
Total: 6.0
The Lightning Are Heating Up Like a Microwave Burrito
Not long ago, Tampa Bay looked like a team allergic to winning hockey games. They stumbled out of the gate 1-4-2, their offense flatter than a Florida tire in August. But lately? They’ve been hotter than Nikita Kucherov’s slap shot at target practice.
The Bolts are now riding a five-game heater after spanking Utah 4-2, and head coach Jon Cooper has that classic “don’t-you-dare-get-comfortable” vibe going. “Don’t change the way we’re playing,” he says, which is coach-speak for “please, for the love of all that is holy, keep scoring goals.”
Jake Guentzel’s fitting right in with 12 points, Anthony Cirelli’s got seven goals like he’s auditioning for a Rocket Richard cameo, and Kucherov is still third on the team despite missing time because, well, he’s Kucherov. The Lightning are finally playing like a team that remembers how to win close games instead of losing them like a bad Tinder streak.
Still, Tampa’s about to face the big boys of the West. And Cooper knows this next stretch, Colorado and Vegas could turn that five-game streak into a fond memory if they start coasting.
The Avalanche Are Winning Ugly, but Still Winning
Colorado might lead the Western Conference, but it hasn’t been all champagne and smooth skating. They’ve lost four of their last six, yet somehow still sit at the top because apparently they collect points the way your grandma collects decorative plates.
The Avs are allergic to regulation losses, only one so far but they’ve dropped three in overtime and two in shootouts. If games ended after 60 minutes, they’d be unstoppable. But when the extra frame hits, it’s as if their stars forget how hockey works. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Martin Necas have all been on the ice for those gut-punch OT losses.
Makar summed it up perfectly: “It’s hard to lose every single game like that in overtime.” Translation: Please, someone else take the next shift.
MacKinnon’s been a monster with 19 points and 10 goals, Necas keeps scoring in the first minute like he’s got dinner reservations, and the defense is holding steady with the league’s fourth-best goals-against average. Even backup goalie Scott Wedgewood has been sharp, which is saying something when you’ve been holding down the fort waiting for Mackenzie Blackwood’s post-surgery comeback tour.
Prediction: Lightning Strike or Avalanche Crash?
Tampa’s red-hot form meets Colorado’s altitude advantage, and something’s got to give. The Lightning are skating with swagger again, but the Avalanche at home are a different beast, even when they forget how to finish in overtime.
Expect a wild one with both teams trading punches early before Colorado’s firepower pulls ahead late.
It’s high-altitude hockey chaos, the kind that makes bettors sweat and goal lights glow. Buckle up, this one’s going to be loud.
Score Prediction: Colorado 4, Tampa Bay 3
Pick: Colorado (147)
Total: Over 6.0 (-122)
- NHL Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
