The Ottawa Senators play host to the Tampa Bay Lightning in an Atlantic Division matchup. This game will continue our NHL odds series with a Lightning-Senators prediction and pick while we let you know how to watch.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are third in the Atlantic with a record of 42-24-6, trailing Toronto by just three points. They are 11 points ahead of Florida, so it looks like they will not drop into the wild card. However, if the Lightning want home-ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs, they need to win these games.
The Senators are still in the playoff race, but they need to win a majority of their last 11 games. With a record of 34-32-5, Ottawa sits seven points away from the second wild-card spot. They are a much better team at home with a record of 19-13-3. Ottawa needs to continue their strong play at home if they want any chance at making the postseason.
These two teams have met once before back in November. The Lightning were able to pull out a 4-3 victory at home. The Lightning and Senators will meet one more time after the game Thursday night. A Lighting win tonight will give them the season series win.
Here are the Lightning-Senators NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Lightning-Senators Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+158)
Ottawa Senators: +1.5 (-192)
Over: 6.5 (-122)
Under: 6.5 (+100)
How To Watch Lightning-Senators
TV: Bally Sports Sun, TSN Canada
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7PM ET/4PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Lightning Could Cover The Spread
Tampa Bay is one of the best offensive teams in the NHL. They score 3.43 goals per game with a 10.7 shooting percentage. They have also taken the 10th most shots in the NHL. Brayden Point is a big part of their high-powered offense as he is tied for fourth in the NHL with 44 goals. In the last ten games, the Senators have given up 4.0 goals per game. In seven of those games, the Senators have given up at least four goals. The Lightning offense needs take advantage of the struggling Ottawa defenders in this game.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to start in goal this game, and he has the fourth-best record of any goaltenders in the NHL. He is also top 20 in goals against, and top 15 in save percentage. Tampa Bay is in good hands with Vasilevskiy in goal. Ottawa is middle of the pack in scoring, so the Lightning defenders should be able to handle the attack.
Why The Senators Could Cover The Spread
Ottawa is top ten in power play percentage while Tampa Bay is top three in penalty minutes. The Senators need to capitalize on the power play opportunities if they want to keep this one close. They have the second most power-play goals in the NHL and Tampa Bay average on the penalty kill.
The Senators are led by Tim Stutzle who has 35 goals on the season. He also leads Ottawa in points. He is top 20 in the NHL in both of those categories. The Senators will need Stutzle to lead the attack if they want to win. Ottawa is not the best on defense, so they will need to score more than a few goals to win this game.
Final Lightning-Senators Prediction & Pick
The Senators have won just three of their last ten games. They are cold at the wrong time. Tampa Bay will handle Ottawa in this game.
Final Lightning-Senators Prediction & Pick: Lightning -1.5 (+158), Over 6.5 (-122)
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