Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning 24 October 2026 Prediction

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning brings together two teams expected to contend this season. Tampa Bay arrives on a winning run, while Colorado has lost three of its last four games and is in the middle of the Western Conference standings. The Avalanche have also struggled in recent meetings with the Lightning.

Colorado’s Recent Form

Colorado has lost three of its last four games, including road defeats to Philadelphia (3-2) and New Jersey (4-3). The score against the Devils was closer than the game for much of the night: Colorado scored twice late in the third period and was outshot 41-34.

Jared Bednar’s team has also gone without a power-play goal in its last two games. The Avalanche have five losses in 10 games. They are generating 3.35 expected goals per game, eighth most in the NHL.

Colorado Avalanche Predicted Lineup: Blackwood (Wedgewood) — Toews, Makar — Lehkonen, MacKinnon, Schwartz

Additional players: Defensemen — Kulak, Malinski, Manson, Burns, Juulsen; forwards — Landeskog, Kadri, Necas, Kelly, Nelson, Hughes, Svechkov, Brindley

Out: O’Connor, L’Heureux (injured); Roy (questionable)

Manager: Jared Bednar

Tampa Bay’s Defensive Play

The Lightning have won seven of their first nine games and sit among the Eastern Conference leaders. They have allowed 23 goals, one of the five lowest totals in the conference, while playing with a greater focus on defense.

That approach worked in their most recent game, a 6-2 road win over Vegas. Anthony Cirelli scored twice, and Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists. The Lightning were outshot 34-21 but limited the damage.

Tampa Bay Lightning Predicted Lineup: Vasilevskiy (Hildeby) — Moser, Carlson — Hagel, Viel, Kucherov

Additional players: Defensemen — McDonagh, Cernak, Lilleberg, Hedman, D’Astous; forwards — Guentzel, Point, Goncalves, Mikheyev, Girgensons, Holmberg, James, Geekie

Out: Gourde (injured); Cirelli (questionable)

Manager: Jon Cooper

Recent Head-to-Head Results

Tampa Bay has won four of the last five meetings, each by at least two goals. Colorado won last season’s home matchup 3-2, but the Lightning took the return game 4-2. Kucherov had two assists in that win, despite Colorado holding a 33-28 edge in shots.

Key Stats

Colorado has not won the first period in any of its last five games.

Tampa Bay allows 2.75 expected goals per game, a top-10 mark in the NHL.

The Avalanche average two goals in the second period, the highest figure in the league.

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction: Lightning Moneyline

Main prediction: Tampa Bay has won seven of its last eight games and four of its last five against Colorado. The Avalanche, meanwhile, have lost two straight and two of their last three at home. The pick is Tampa Bay Lightning moneyline at 2.04. An exact-score option is a 4-2 Lightning win.

Goals prediction: These teams have combined for at least six goals in four of their last five meetings. The same is true of four of Tampa Bay’s last five games, while five of Colorado’s last six home games have featured at least seven goals. The additional pick is over 5.5 goals at 1.66.