Winners Club: What to Know Ahead of the Avalanche-Lighting Stanley Cup Final Matchup

Plus, Celtics-Warriors NBA Finals odds update, NFL line movement and more news from around the league.

Good morning! It’s time to do that hockey. The Stanley Cup Final begins tonight in Denver, with the Avalanche hosting the Lightning. Colorado had plenty of time to rest between its conference final sweep and Game 1. Tampa Bay had a quicker turnaround than its opponent, though it should be ready to defend its championship once again.

Keep reading for a Stanley Cup preview, an NBA Finals update ahead of Thursday’s potentially deciding Game 6 and the latest from around the NFL.

Lightning Are Underdogs in Three-peat Quest

The Stanley Cup pits the most dominant team in the postseason against the best team of the last two seasons. That would be the Avalanche, who lost twice all postseason and lead the league in playoff goals per game, and the Lightning, winners of the last two Cups.

Colorado’s path to the sport’s biggest stage included a sweep of the Predators, a 4-2 series win versus the Blues and then a sweep of the Oilers in the Western Conference final. The Avalanche haven’t played in 10 days because they dispatched Edmonton so quickly while the Eastern Conference Final went six games.

Tampa Bay almost didn’t make it out of the opening round. The two-time defending champions faced a 3-2 deficit against the Maple Leafs, won Game 6 at home, and stole Game 7 on the road to complete the comeback. Then they swept the Panthers, winners of the Presidents’ Trophy, in the second round. In the ECF, the Lightning fell down 0-2 against the Rangers and won the next four games to take the series.

Chris O'Meara/AP

All that said, what are the X-factors for each team in this best-of-seven series? The Hockey News’s Mike Stephens explained which aspects of the game could decide the series for either team.

Andrei Vasilevskiy is Tampa Bay’s anchor in the net—how will the health of Colorado’s goaltenders affect how the series plays out? And can the Lightning get production on offense from players not named Steven Stamkos or Nikita Kucherov?

Find a full Stanley Cup Final preview before the series gets underway tonight. And for your Game 1 preview and picks for the opener in Denver, click here.

Wednesday
8 p.m. ET (ABC): Lightning vs. Avalanche (-154) | Game 1
Game 2: Saturday, June 18
Game 3: Monday, June 20
Game 4: Wednesday, June 22
Game 5: Friday, June 24*
Game 6 Sunday, June 26*
Game 7: Tuesday, June 28*

(*If necessary, all games at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.)

Stanley Cup Final Winner
Avalanche -188
Lightning +155

Series Handicap
Avalanche -1.5 games (+105)
Lightning +1.5 games (-133)

Warriors One Win Away from Glory

Boston hadn’t lost back-to-back games since March, and a full-strength team hadn’t lost two in a row since January. That is until Golden State won Games 4 and 5 to take a 3-2 lead in the NBA Finals.

That Game 5 win was an Andrew Wiggins masterclass performance as the former No. 1 pick went for 26 points and 13 rebounds while Steph Curry had an uncharacteristic off night (16 points, 0-9 from deep).

John Hefti/AP

The Warriors have the Celtics on the ropes as the series shifts back to TD Garden Thursday night. Boston is well-versed in elimination games at this point in the postseason. The team won two do-or-die games in the semifinals against the Bucks when it came back from a 3-2 deficit with Game 6 on the road in Milwaukee and won another in the East Finals on the road against the Heat in Game 7.

Boston is favored in Game 6 at home, though Golden State has leaped to massive -400 favorites to win the title. Accordingly, Curry is -400 to win his first Finals MVP. That celebration could come in enemy territory if the Celtics don’t defend the home court.

Thursday
9 p.m. ET (ABC): Warriors vs. Celtics (-3.5) | Golden State leads series, 3-2

Looking Ahead to NFL Week 1

The NFL season doesn’t begin for another 12 weeks, but that wait isn’t deterring bettors from picking a side in a handful of Week 1 games while we’re still months away from kickoff.

As money comes in, lines are shifting. Frankie Taddeo is keeping track of the movement and explaining what it means for bettors.

One line that has already moved is the Saints-Falcons divisional matchup in Atlanta. It opened with New Orleans installed as 3.5-point favorites against the Falcons, who will be without longtime quarterback Matt Ryan and suspended receiver Calvin Ridley. That line has moved to Saints -5 as bettors are fading the Falcons, whose win total is a lowly 4.5.

Gerald Herbert/AP

NFL News Roundup

Takeaways from Deshaun Watson’s Press Conference: The new Browns quarterback answered questions Tuesday amid reports that he could be facing two additional lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct, in addition to the 24 active civil suits he is already facing.

Kyler Murray Reports to Minicamp: The Cardinals quarterback was present at mandatory minicamp on Tuesday after he skipped voluntary OTAs, though he and the team have yet to agree on a contract extension. Arizona picked up Murray’s fifth-year option in May, and the franchise tag is in play if a deal doesn’t get done.

Tom Brady Says Russell Gage “Has to Have A Big Year”: The Buccaneers quarterback let on that his new weapon will play a very important role in the receiving game this season. Tampa Bay signed Gage away from the Falcons in the offseason while Chris Godwin recovers from a torn ACL.

Lamar Jackson Present at Ravens Minicamp: Baltimore’s quarterback is entering the fifth year of his rookie deal without a new contract in place, and he missed voluntary OTAs earlier this offseason. The former MVP was at mandatory minicamp Tuesday, and coach John Harbaugh commended Jackson’s play.

In Other News

U.S. Open Betting Preview: Rory McIlroy, fresh off a victory at the Canadian Open, is the betting favorite (+3300) this weekend. Get the odds for the entire field, the betting breakdown for the top options and catch up on the ongoing LIV Golf drama in the U.S. Open preview.

Weekly MLB Power Rankings: Matt Carpenter is on a tear, and so are his Yankees. They own the best record in baseball by a healthy margin and retain the No. 1 spot in this week’s rankings. See how the 29 other teams behind them fall in line and which clubs have a shot at knocking off New York for the top spot.

NBA Draft Betting Odds: Jabari Smith is a heavy favorite to go No. 1 to the Magic in next week’s draft. Is he a smart bet at those odds? And how will the rest of the top of the draft unfold? See where the odds stand now and how they’ve shifted.

Tim Reynolds/AP

Can’t Miss College Football Games in September: Fall Saturdays are still a ways away, but that doesn’t preclude us from looking at the schedule to see what early-season bouts might be most entertaining or even have an impact on the College Football Playoff race.

What Ozzie Albies’ Injury Means for ATL, Fantasy Managers: The Braves’ All-Star second baseman fractured his foot Monday night, and there is no timeline for his return. Find out what his absence means for Atlanta, battling for a wild card spot, and how you can replace Albies’ production in your fantasy lineup.

2022 World Cup Groups, Match Schedules Set: The 32-team field is set for November in Qatar. The United States is in Group B, along with England, Iran and Wales. Get the complete group assignments and match schedules for the World Cup, which begins on November 21.

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Thanks for reading! I’ll be back again Friday morning.