A premier Eastern Conference showdown and future possible postseason matchup is on tap for this Thursday as the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Sunshine State. Join us for our NHL odds series, where our Penguins-Lightning prediction and pick will be revealed.
After enduring a four-game losing streak that ultimately tested Pittsburgh's resiliency, the Penguins have passed with flying colors as they have since reeled off three-straight wins including a dominating 7-3 home win over the Lightning on Feb. 26th. Right in the thick of a crowded playoff race, the Penguins need every point they can get down the stretch.
Hitting a bit of a cold streak with losses in three of their previous four games combined including two straight defeats, Tampa Bay is eager to get back on track as they enter play with a 37-19-4 overall record. Sitting in the sixth seed among their eastern conference foes, the Lightning need to right the ship in a hurry if they want to finish the regular season in the upper half of the teams out east.
Here are the Penguins-Lightning NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Penguins-Lightning Odds
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-176)
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+142)
Over: 6.5 (-124)
Under: 6.5 (+102)
How To Watch Penguins vs. Lightning
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 7:00 ET/4:00 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Penguins Could Cover The Spread
For starters, Pittsburgh's main game plan needs to come in the form of more explosive offense that has carried them past the Lightning twice this season with a combined 13 goals in the two matchups against the three-time Eastern Conference defending champs.
Alas, “Syd the Kid” isn't quite a kid anymore, but the 35-year-old captain of the Penguins hasn't seemed to miss a beat this season as he leads the club in goals, assists, and total points. Clearly, Sidney Crosby will be a major factor in this heavyweight fight as it will be critical for him to get his teammates involved by setting them and even himself up for beautiful scoring opportunities. The last time out versus Tampa Bay, Crosby netted a pair of points which included a goal and an assist in the rout and there's no doubt that he will be expecting the same amount of production from himself.
Possibly even more importantly, another stellar defensive effort could go a long way in covering the spread as well. In a 3-1 win over the Predators on Tuesday, it was a suffocating Pittsburgh defense to go along with a masterful performance by goaltender Tristan Jerry, who ended up saving 24 of his 25 Shons faced on the night. When it was all said and done, Nashville was only able to record three shots on goal in the final period. If the Penguins can combat the Lightning's blazing speed with some physicality, then a repeat of the other night may be in order.
Why The Lightning Could Cover The Spread
Clearly, if there is one strength that the Lightning strive their game after, it is the fact that they know how to score the puck at will. Averaging 3.52 goals per game on the season, Tampa Bay can find the back of the net before a defense even has time to blink. However, the Lightning has only scored four goals combined in their previous two losses and have hit a slight funk when it comes to converting their shots on goal.
Not to mention, failing to capitalize on power play opportunities has been an Achilles heel of late as well. In the loss to the Panthers on Tuesday, it was Tampa Bay that squandered four extra-man advantages as they finished the night only going 1-5 in that department. Simply put, this is a roster that usually excels on the power play as they are converting on 25.6% of such opportunities, so no doubt Tampa Bay will need to return to their usual efficiency to grab an upper hand versus Pittsburgh.
Fortunately, playing within the confines of Amalie Arena has favored the Lightning far too often for the majority of the season-long campaign. In fact, the recent loss at home to the in-state Florida Panthers was the first regulation loss at their home arena since Dec. 6th. With one of the best records in the league at home standing at 22-5-3, it will prove to be difficult for the Penguins to quiet down a raucous Lightning crowd that will surely energize Tampa Bay with some electricity throughout the night.
Final Penguins-Lightning Prediction & Pick
At the moment, the Penguins are scalding hot, and the Lightning are not. Nevertheless, it would be rather shocking to see Tampa Bay go down in defeat in back-to-back home games, as the expectation should be for the Lightning to return to their winning and spread-covering ways on Thursday.
Final Penguins-Lightning Prediction & Pick: Lightning -1.5 (+142)
Follow Us
Subscribe