Amalie Arena is playing host an East-West showdown as the Tampa Bay Lightning square off against the visiting Dallas Stars. The puck drops at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 16, and fans at home can catch it live on Fox Sports Southwest.
Dallas Stars vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Dallas (+145) is playing the role of underdog to Tampa Bay (-165), and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals (-115 for the over, -105 for the under).
Tampa Bay is 14-4 straight up (SU) and has netted 8.8 units for moneyline bettors this season. That win percentage, ranked first in the league so far in this young season, is a solid improvement compared to how the team performed during the 2016-17 season (42-40). Through 18 regular season contests, 11 of the team’s games have gone over the total, while seven have gone under and none have pushed. The team is 7-2 SU at home so far this year.
The Lightning come into the matchup with the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as the team has found the net on 28.6 percent of their extra-man opportunities this season. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked eighth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 84.1 percent of all penalties.
The Lightning, as a collective unit, have been penalized 4.3 times per game overall this season, and 3.4 per game over their past five outings. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays for just 8.7 minutes per game over their last 10 matchups, in total.
Averaging 30.9 saves per game with a .930 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (13-2-1) has been the best goalkeeper for Tampa Bay this year. If head coach Jon Cooper decides to rest him, however, Tampa Bay could turn to Peter Budaj (1-2-2 record, .873 save percentage, 3.33 goals against average).
Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov will each spearhead the attack for the Lightning. Stamkos (31 points) has tallied eight goals and 23 assists and has recorded two or more points in 10 different games this year. Kucherov has 16 goals and 14 assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in 15 games.
On the other side of the ice, Dallas is 9-9 straight up (SU) and has lost 2.0 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 18 regular season outings, nine of its games have gone over the total, while eight have gone under and just one has pushed. The Stars are 3-7 SU as an away team this season.
The Stars come into the matchup with the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as they’ve found the net on 30.2 percent of their extra-man advantages this season. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked seventh overall and it’s successfully killed off 84.6 percent of all penalties.
Dallas’ players have been penalized 4.3 times per game this season, 4.6 per game over their past five match ups total, and 4.8 per game over their last five on the road. The team’s been forced to kill penalties 11.4 minutes per contest over their last five road games.
Ben Bishop (.908 save percentage and 2.67 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Dallas. Bishop is averaging 24.6 saves per game and owns a 7-7 record.
Jamie Benn (10 goals, nine assists) and John Klingberg (four goals, 14 assists) are the top offensive options for Dallas and will lead the offensive attack for the visiting Stars.
Dallas Stars at Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Over
Betting Notes:
- The total has gone over in three of Tampa Bay’s last five outings.
- Dallas has managed 29.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Tampa Bay has been attempting 33.2 shots per game over its last five at home.
- Tampa Bay has averaged 4.3 goals per game (while giving up just 2.0) in its last four games (the team’s a perfect 0-0 SU during that streak).
- Over Dallas’ last ten games, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-4 in those games).
