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It is an Atlantic Division battle as the Ottawa Senators face the Tampa Bay Lightning. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Senators-Lightning prediction and pick.
The Senators enter the game at 29-21-4 on the year, which is good for third place in the Atlantic Division. This has the Senators looking to upgrade their roster at the trade deadline. Meanwhile, the Lightning are 28-20-4 on the year, which currently has them in a tie for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. This has the Lightning exploring their upgrade opportunities to secure a playoff spot.
These two teams faced each other in their last game. Michael Amadio opened the scoring in the first period, giving the Senators the 1-0 lead. In the second period, the Lightning would strike twice, but Claude Giroux would tie the game before the third period. Brandon Hagel would score in the third to give the Lightning the lead. After an empty net goal, and then a Senators response, the Lightning would win the game 4-3.
Here are the Senators-Lightning NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Senators-Lightning Odds
Ottawa Senators: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: +146
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: -176
Over: 5.5 (-114)
Under: 5.5 (-106)
How To Watch Senators vs Lightning
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Senators Could Cover the Spread/Win
The combination of Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk leads the top line for the Senators this year. Stutzle leads the team in assists and points. He comes into the game with 17 goals and 37 assists, good for 54 total points. Tkachuk is third on the team in points, having 20 goals and 23 assists. His goal total is the most on the team this year. They are joined on the line by Claude Giroux. Giroux is fourth on the team in points, coming in with 11 goals and 26 assists this year.
Drake Batherson is second on the team in points this year and leads the second line. He comes into the game with 16 goals and 28 assists, good for 44 total points. Meanwhile, Jake Sanderson has been solid from the blue line for the Senators. He comes into the game with five goals and 30 assists on the year.
Linus Ullmark is expected to be in the net for the Senators in this one. He is 12-8-2 on the year with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. He is seventh in the NHL in both goals-against average and save percentage this year.
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Lightning is led by Nikita Kucherov, who leads the team in both assists and points this year. He comes into the game with 25 goals and 52 assists, good for 77 total points. Further, he has four goals and 27 assists on the power play. He is joined on the top line by Jake Guentzel. Guentzel is fourth on the team in points with 26 goals and 25 assists. The line is rounded out by Brayden Point, who is third on the team in points and leads the team in goals. He has 28 goals and 25 assists this year.
The second line is led by Brandon Hagel, who is second on the team in points this year. He comes into the game with 23 goals and 32 assists this year, good for 55 total points. He is joined on the line by Anthony Cirelli. Cirelli is sixth on the team in points with 19 goals and 21 assists this year.
Andrei Vadilevskiy is expected to be in goals for the Lightning in this one. He is 22-15-3 on the year with a 2.30 goals-against average and a .918 save percentage. He is just 2-2-1 in his last five starts but has not given up more than three goals in any of them, with a shutout and a game with just one goal allowed. Further, he has been above .910 in three of his last five games overall.
Final Senators-Lightning Prediction & Pick
The Lightning come into this NHL game as favorites in terms of odds. One reason is their recent victory over Ottawa in their last game, winning 4-3. The Lightning are scoring 3.46 goals per game while sitting fifth in the NHL on the power play. Still, the Senators are sixth in the NHL in goals-against per game, and 19th on the penalty kill. Still, the Lightning while sitting tenth in the NHL in goals-against per game, have not been great on defense as of late. They have lost five of their last eight games, and given up 27 goals in those five losses. Take the Senators to keep this one close.
Final Senators-Lightning Prediction & Pick: Senators +1.5 (-188)
