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A marquee Eastern Conference showdown is on tap for Tuesday night as the Philadelphia Flyers will attempt to go toe-to-toe against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It is time to check out our NHL odds series, where our Flyers-Lightning prediction and pick will be made.
What a time to be a Philly sports fan! With the Eagles currently undefeated and the Phillies in the midst of a deep postseason run, the Flyers have followed suit with an unblemished mark through their first two games and will attempt to build off of their early-season momentum to go 3-2. After a gritty 3-2 win against the Canucks, is Philadelphia ready to compete with the cream of the crop in a Tampa Bay squad that has won the Eastern Conference three years in a row?
No doubt, the usually electric Lightning are off to a slow start with a 1-2 record this season and will look to make a big statement that they are still one of the top teams to beat in front of their home crowd at Amalie Arena. Despite the early struggles, head coach Jon Cooper and the rest of this Tampa Bay squad will certainly be ready for play after a humiliating defeat to the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 6-2.
Here are the Flyers-Lightning NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Flyers-Lightning Odds
Philadelphia Flyers: +1.5 (-102)
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (-120)
Over: 6.5 (+102)
Under: 6.5 (-124)
Why The Flyers Could Cover The Spread
Evidently, the biggest reason the Flyers may cover the spread in this one is because of how well they have played in their first two games of the season. More specifically, Philadelphia has been lights out when it comes to out-skating their opponents and have been opportunistic to say the least. In their latest matchup versus the Canucks, the Flyers trailed early by allowing a pair of goals in the opening period but showcased their resiliency by taking control the rest of the way. While Philly would much rather prefer getting off to much better starts, it is encouraging for this squad that they possess the confidence to fight until the bitter end.
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In addition, the high-flying Flyers have shown that they can score at will. With a total of eight goals in their previous two contests, Philly has a chance to cover the spread by overwhelming the Lightning offensively. With that being said, be on the lookout for right-winger Travis Konecny to be on his A-game once again as he currently leads the squad in goals scored with three. Without a doubt, Konecy may prove to be the biggest difference-maker in this one.
Why The Lightning Could Cover The Spread
With a short offseason after climbing their way to a third-straight Stanley Cup appearance, Tampa Bay looks like a team that is definitely experiencing a hangover. Even though they came up short in their quest of becoming a dynasty in their loss to the Avs, this is still a talented club that is loaded with a ton of skill.
In order to cover the spread against their conference counterpart, Tampa Bay should benefit in finally partaking in their home opener. After beginning the regular season with a daunting three consecutive contests out on the road, the Lightning can breathe a sigh of relief in returning home to Tampa. A year ago, the Lightning went an absurd 27-8-6 in their home building and will be tough to knock off tonight as the home crows should be absolutely buzzing.
Not only do the Lightning have a tremendous home-ice advantage, but they possess one of the best goaltenders in the game in Andrei Vasilevsky. While in net, Vasilevsky serves as the ultimate equalizer and should be a perfect response to Philly's dangerous offensive attack.
Final Flyers-Lightning Prediction & Pick
Time to pop some popcorn! This one has the makings to be as entertaining as it gets. However, with the Lightning serving as the home team, Tampa Bay should come out on top and not disappoint.
Final Flyers-Lightning Prediction & Pick: Lightning -1.5 (-120)
