The Florida Panthers look for a 2-0 lead in the series as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Lightning-Panthers Game 2 prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

Game one of the series saw the Panthers strike first. Same Reinhart scored just 6:17 into the game to give the Panthers the lead, but Brandon Hagel would tie the game in the first period. After a scoreless second period, the Panthers scored on the power play just 58 seconds into the third. The Lighting would pull the goal to try to get back into the game, but Matthew Tkachuk would score to make it 3-1. Steven Stamkos would get one back, but with just ten seconds left in the game, it would be too late as the Panthers won 3-2.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Playoffs Odds: Lightning-Panthers Game 2 Odds

Tampa Bay Lighting: +1.5 (-184)

Moneyline: +146

Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+152)

Moneyline: -176

Over: 5.5 (-128)

Under: 5.5 (+104)

How to Watch Lightning vs. Panthers Game 2

Time: 7:30 PM ET/ 4:30 PM PT

TV: ESPN2

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Lightning Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Lighting was fifth in the NHL in scoring on the year, scoring 3.51 goals per game on the season. That is something that they need to find in game two. Brandon Hagel and Steven Stamkos found the back of the net in game one. Hafgel scored 26 times in the regular season while adding 49 assists, good for 75 points. Stamkos scored 40 times in the regular season with 41 total assets. He also added an assist in game one as well.

Nikita Kucherov added an assist in game one, and he had 100 of those in the regular season. Kucherov scored 44 times in the regular season and came away with 144 total points. Brayden Point also added an assist in the game. In the regular season, he had 44 assists, with 46 total goals and 90 total points.

The Lighting did go one for two on the power play in the game. That is something that needs to continue. Stamkos had the power play goal, and he led the team with 19 of those in the regular season. Kucherov had the assists, and he had 40 power-play assists during the regular season.

Andrei Vasilevky was also solid in game one. He allowed just two goals on 27 shots in the game. Still, Kucherov was up and gown at the end of the year. In his last six games, he has three games over .900 in save percentage and three or fewer goals allowed. He also had three games with a save percentage of less than .885 and allowed four or more goals.

Why The Panthers Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Panthers were 11th in the NHL with 3.23 goals per game on the season. Game one saw Same Reinhart open the scoring. That was the norm for the regular season. Reinhart led the team with 57 goals on the year, while he had 37 assists, good for 94 total points. Further, he was a power play machine, with 27 goals and seven assists on the power play. Carter Verheghe also scored in game one. That is something he did 34 times in the regular season, while he added 38 total assets in the regular season. It was also a power-play goal. He has just eight of those in the regular season while adding 13 assists.

Matthew Tkachuk also added a goal and a assist in game one. He was second on the team in points during the regular season. He scored 26 times while leading the team with 62 assists, good for 88 total points. Further, the Panthers have Aleksander Barkov. Barkov scored 23 times in the regular season while also adding 57 assists, good for 80 total points.  Barkov had two assists in game one of the series, assisting on the power play goal and the first goal of the game.

Sergei Bobrovsky once again was big in the playoffs. He saves 17 of 19 shots in game one of the series. In his playoff career, Bobrovsky has started 65 games, with 71 total appearances, in those games. He has a 3.02 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. Since the 2022 playoffs, that save percentage is over .910, while his goals-against average is below 2.80

Final Lightning-Panthers Prediction & Pick

The first game between these two was highly entertaining. After some opening quick strikes, the game became tight in the second period. The Panthers opened it up some early in the third, but when the Lighting pulled Andrei Vasilevky, the game opened up tremendously. That open style of play is something both teams played during the regular season and should come much earlier in game two. The Panthers should come away with the win, but the best play is on the total. Take the over.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Lightning-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Over 5.5 (-128)