Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, and the New York Islanders will face off against Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena in an Eastern Conference matchup. The action gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, December 9, and fans at home will be able to catch the game live on Fox Sports Sun.
New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
The Lightning (-175) are being labeled as the favorites over the Islanders (+155), and oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at an even 6 goals (-115 for the over, -105 for the under).
New York is 19-9 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 8.8 units this year. 16 of its games have gone under the total, while 11 have gone over and just one has pushed. The Isles are 7-6 SU on the road in 2019-20.
New York has converted on 18.5 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that’s right around league average. Its penalty kill is ranked 17th in the league, and the team’s successfully killed off 81.3 percent of its penalties..
Averaging 25.6 saves per game with a .923 save percentage, Semyon Varlamov (10-6-2) has been the best option in goal for New York this year. If head coach Barry Trotz chooses to rest him, however, the team might go with Thomas Greiss (10-5 record, .930 save percentage, 2.24 goals against average).
Tampa Bay is 14-13 straight up (SU) and has lost 7.5 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 27 regular season outings, 17 of its games have gone over the total, while 10 have gone under and none have pushed. This season, the team’s 7-6 SU at home.
The Lightning currently have the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as they’ve converted on 29.7 percent of their extra-man advantages this season. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 19th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 79.6 percent of all penalties.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (28.3 saves per game) has been the top choice in goal for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy has 11 wins, nine losses, and one overtime loss and has registered a subpar .907 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average this season.
New York Islanders vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Predictions
NHL Tip: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- For both of these teams, the game went over the total in three of their past five outings.
- New York has managed 26.8 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Tampa Bay is averaging 34.8 shots per game over its last five at home.
- Six of New York’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 2-4 in those games.
- This game features two of the more aggressive teams in the league. New York skaters have accounted for the most hits in the league (30.0 per game) and the Bolts have tallied the 10th-most (23.4).
