Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Preview
The Lightning and Panthers are set to face off at 12:30 ET on ESPN. The Panthers will host the game at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, FL.
The over/under for this matchup is currently set at 5.5 goals and the Panthers are the -1.5 favorite to win at home vs. the Lightning. Check out BetCoco for Florida Panthers – Tampa Bay Lightning odds
Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Head-to-Head and Key Stats
The last ten head-to-head matchups between then Lightning and Panthers have gone in favor of the Lightning, putting together a record of 6-4. Against the spread, the Lightning have the edge at 2-1 over their last three games vs. the Panthers. However, the Panthers have gone 2-1 in their last three home games vs. the Lightning.
- Across the Lightning last three road games, the team averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 4. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 1-2, while going 1-2 straight-up.
- When looking at their past five home matchups, Florida has an puck line record of 3-2 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 5-0 overall in these games.
- Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Panthers have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 9-1.
- In their last three games as the betting favorite, the Lightning have a straight up record of 1-2 and an puck line mark of 1-2.
Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction
Heading into the final game of the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a record of 45-29-8, which has them in 6th place in the Eastern Conference and 4th in the Atlantic Division. On the road this season, the Lightning have gone 20-18-3 and are currently on a two-game losing streak away from home.
Over their last ten games, Tampa Bay has gone 5-5 and has gone 2-3 in their last five. When playing as the underdog this season, the Lightning have gone 14-12-5, and they have gone 1-2 in their last three games.
On the offensive side, the Lightning are scoring an 3.5 goals per game this season, ranking 5th in the NHL. When it came to shots on target per game, they are 22nd in the league. This year, the Lightning have recorded a 25-14 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 19-12 record.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy comes into the game having made 52 starts this season. So far, his record is 30-20 and he has a save percentage of 0.879%.
At home this season, the Panthers have gone 26-13-2, and they have won five straight games at the BB&T Center. In the Eastern Conference, Florida is in third place and first in the Atlantic Division. Overall, the Panthers have a record of 52-24-6.
In their last three games, Florida has won all three, and over their last ten games, the Panthers have gone 6-4. This season, the Panthers have been favored in 67 of their games, and they have gone 46-19-2 in those games. Against other teams in the Eastern Conference, Florida has gone 33-17.
On offense, the Panthers are averaging 3.2 goals per game which is 11th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 2nd in the league. Looking at how the Panthers’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 6th in power play goals and 10th in shorthanded goals.
Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky gets the start and has made 58 starts this season. His record at this point is 36-17, and his save percentage is 0.948%.
Even though they are considered 1.5-goal underdogs, our projection points to a 4-3 win for the Lightning.
Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Tips
- We like the Lightning on the moneyline (+144)
- The Lightning are also our pick on the spread at +1.5
- Our NHL model projects 7 goals, and we suggest taking the under
Florida Panthers Injury Report
- Aaron Ekblad – Undisclosed – Probable
- Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Upper Body – Questionable
Tampa Bay Lightning Injury Report
- Haydn Fleury – Undisclosed – Questionable
- Victor Hedman – Illness – Questionable
- Luke Glendening – Undisclosed – Probable
- Brent Seabrook – Shoulder/Back/Hip – Out
- Jonas Johansson – Lower Body – Out
- Tyler Motte – Lower Body – Questionable
- Mikhail Sergachev – Leg – Out
- Logan Brown – Undisclosed – Out
