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You can be sure there will be some exciting, offensive hockey when the Tampa Bay Lightning meet the Edmonton Oilers. The Lightning has won seven of the last ten matchups between these teams, but the high scoring from last season's games stood out. The Lightning won both matchups in 2023-24, 7-4, and 6-4. It's important to note that Andrei Vasilevskiy was healthy for only one of those games, while Stuart Skinner had a sub-.800 save percentage in both games. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Lightning-Oilers prediction and pick.
Here are the Lightning-Oilers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Lightning-Oilers Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning: +1.5 (-190)
Moneyline: +129
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+166)
Moneyline: -143
Over: 6.5 (-115)
Under: 6.5 (-105)
How To Watch Lightning vs. Oilers
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: Sportsnet, Fanduel Sports Network
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Lightning are slowly getting things back on track after some hiccups in the Atlantic Division. They remain fourth in the division but would likely be in the top three if it wasn't for the Boston Bruins' resurgence under Joe Sacco. Tampa Bay has won three of their last four games, including some offensive outbursts against the San Jose Sharks and Vancouver Canucks. It took some time for the Lightning to adjust after the loss of Steven Stamkos, but their more significant issue was starting to become their defense more than the offense.
Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn't been in the same form as in past seasons, which is saying something, considering he still has a 12-8-1 record, a 2.4 goals-against average, and a .909 save percentage. The defense helped him over the past two games, as they allowed just 46 shots, and Vasilevskiy performed well with just three goals against. If the Lightning can keep scoring 3+ goals and allowing less than 25 shots, they'll be challenging to beat with a goaltender like Vasilevskiy.
Why the Oilers Could Cover the Spread/Win
It shouldn't be surprising that the Oilers are bouncing back after a difficult start to the season. We saw it last season when they rallied to the Stanley Cup Finals, but there was some skepticism that it'd be too challenging to do it two years in a row. It'll take more than a ten-game sample size, but the Oilers have been on fire recently, winning six of their last eight and doing so convincingly. One issue is that the wins have come against mostly non-playoff teams, while the two losses over that span came against the Vegas Golden Knights and Minnesota Wild, who the Oilers will have to go through to make it back to the finals.
The lasting question for the Oilers will be if their goaltending tandem, having a 2.93 goals-against average and a .887 save percentage, will be enough to lead them to a cup. Having the Oilers' offense will help, as they have 4+ goals in their six wins over this recent stretch.
Final Lightning-Oilers Prediction & Pick
It's challenging to trust Skinner, especially when playing the Lightning, against whom he was terrible last season. Skinner will likely start in this game, and the Lightning offense could get to him again. The Oilers' recent run has also been against mostly struggling teams, which makes it a bit fake. The Lightning challenge is more like the Golden Knights and Wild, who they've lost to over this stretch.
Final Lightning-Oilers Prediction & Pick: Lightning ML (+129)
