Stanley Cup Final prop bets: Nichushkin continues to be a difference maker

The Stanley Cup Final resumes tonight in Denver as the Avalanche host the Lightning in Game 2.

Back on Wednesday night, Andre Burakovsky potted the OT winner as Colorado drew first blood in the series with a 4-3 victory.

Some food for thought: The team that has won Game 1 of the Cup Final has gone on to win the series 75 percent of the time.

With that in mind, here are some prop bets to consider:

PROP #1: Nikita Kucherov Over 0.5 Assists (-125)

Was that Kucherov helper in Game 1 nasty or what? The 29-year-old has six assists in his past six outings and 17 in 18 total playoff games thus far. In general, Tampa’s big boys were so-so in Game 1, they’ll need to be much better tonight.

PROP #2: Cale Makar Over 0.5 Assists (-160)

The 23-year-old Conn Smythe candidate was held pointless in the opener, which means he could be primed to hit the scoresheet tonight. For what it’s worth, he’s failed to register a point in back-to-back games just once in this postseason. To-date, Makar has 17 assists through 15 playoff games including six in eight home games. Take the plunge.

PROP #3: Valeri Nichushkin Over 2.5 SOG (-160)

Plain and simple, Nichushkin was one of the best players on the ice in Game 1 tallying one goal, one assist and a whopping six shots on goal. Through 15 games, the 27-year-old has averaged 3.53 shots per game. He’s been a difference maker and a big reason why the Avalanche are three wins away from hoisting Lord Stanley.

PROP #4: Anthony Cirelli Over 1.5 SOG (-170)

At this point, taking the over on the Cirelli shot prop is nearing auto-bet territory. The 24-year-old has registered 25 shots on goal over his past eight outings and has cleared the 1.5 number in five straight and seven of eight. Ride the hot hand.

Betting odds listed above via the Bet365 Sportsbook as of Saturday morning.