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The Tampa Bay Lightning host the St. Louis Blues on Thursday night! It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Blues-Lightning prediction and pick.
The Blues come into the game at 15-15-3, placing them sixth in the Central Division. In their last game, they faced the New Jersey Devils. It was the first game for the newly acquired Cam Fowler, but it did not go well. The Devils struck first and would add a goal in the second and early third to build the lead. The Blues got one back on a Jordan Kyrou goal, but Jesper Bratt closed the door with an empty net goal as the Devils won 4-1.
Meanwhile, the Lightning sit at 17-10-2 on the year, which is good for fourth in the Atlantic Division. Last time out, they played the Columbus Blue Jackets. They took an early lead and would add three goals in the second to build a lead. The Blue Jackets would come back, making it a one-goal game, but Nikita Kucherov, two games off a record-tying performance, assisted on an empty net goal to seal the Lightning 5-3 win.
Here are the Blues-Lightning NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blues-Lightning Odds
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-134)
Moneyline: +188
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+110)
Moneyline: -230
Over: 5.5 (-128)
Under: 5.5 (+104)
How To Watch Blues vs Lightning
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
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Why the Blues Could Cover the Spread/Win
Current second-line forward Jordan Kyrou leads the team in points this year. He comes into the game with 14 goals and 14 assists, good for 28 points. His goal total also leads the team. Kyrou has scored twice and added four assists on the power play as well. He is joined on the line by Brayden Schenn. Schenn has five goals and 12 assists on the year.
Meanwhile, the top line is home to Robert Thomas. Thomas is second on the team in points and leads the team in assists. He has six goals and 17 assists on the year. He is joined by Pavel Buchnevich and Jake Neighbours. Buchnevich comes into the game with eight goals and 13 assists on the year, third on the team in points. Schenn has five goals and 12 assists on the year, sitting tied for fifth on the team in points.
Jordan Binnington is expected to be in goal for this one. He is 8-12-3 on the year with a .898 save percentage and a 2.98 goals-against average. Binnington has not seen wins as of late but has had some solid games. He has two games in his last five over .920 in save percentage.
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line is anchored by Nikita Kucherov. He has scored 14 goals with 33 assists, good for 47 total points. He leads the team in both points and assists this year. Further, he has a goal and 19 assists on the power play. The team's leading goal scorer joins Kucherov on the top line. Brayden Point has 21 goals this year. He also has added 16 assists, good for 37 points. Point has 11 goals and five assists on the power play. The line is rounded out by Jake Guentzel. Guentzel has 18 goals and 15 assists on the year.
Brandon Hagel is third on the team in points this year and leads the second line. He comes into the game with 15 goals and 21 assists. He has also added five assists on the power play. Hagel is joined on the line by Anthony Cirelli. Cirelli has 12 goals and 15 assists on the year, sitting fifth on the year in points.
It is expected to be Andrei Vasilevskiy in the goal for this one. He is 14-9-1 on the year with a 2.41 goals-against average. Vasilevskiy also has a .910 save percentage this year. He has been great in five starts this month, going 4-1 with a 2.02 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. Kucherov has won four of five starts, not giving up more than three goals in any of them.
Final Blues-Lightning Prediction & Pick
The Lightning come in as favorites in terms of odds in this NHL game. One reason has been the defense, as they sit tenth in the NHL in goals against per game. Further, they are scoring 4.03 goals per game and sit third in the NHL on the power play this year. Meanwhile, the Blues have struggled on the penalty kill, sitting 24th in the NHL. They also struggle to score, with just 2.55 goals per game, while also sitting 20th in the NHL in goals-against per game. The Blues have just two wins in their last six games and have struggled to score in many of them. They have three games with two or fewer goals. They will struggle again in this one.
Final Blues-Lightning Prediction & Pick: Lightning ML (-230)
