The Tampa Bay Lightning, led by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, are ready to take the ice against Aleksander Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau, and the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center in an Atlantic Division showdown. Fox SportsNet Florida will showcase the game, and the opening face-off takes place at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, February 10.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Odds
Moneyline odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
Tampa Bay is 40-15 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 14.3 units this year. 27 of its games have gone over the total, while 25 have gone under and just two have pushed. The Bolts are 19-8 SU on the road in 2018-19.
Tampa Bay currently has the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as it’s scored on 28.8 percent of its extra-man chances this season. Additionally, it has the second-best penalty kill in the league, and it has successfully killed off a whopping 84.7 percent of all penalties..
With a .926 save percentage and 30.7 saves per game, Andrei Vasilevskiy (22-11-4) has been the top option in goal for Tampa Bay this year. Vasilevskiy did just play last night, however, so Tampa Bay could choose to rest him and turn to Louis Domingue instead (17-4 record, .906 save percentage, 2.95 goals against average).
On the other bench, Florida is 23-30 straight up (SU) and has lost 13.6 units for moneyline bettors thus far. 26 of its matches have gone over the total, while 20 have gone under and just six have pushed. It’s 12-13 SU as the home team this season.
The Panthers have converted on 27.0 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that places it in the top-5 among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 12th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.6 percent of all penalties.
James Reimer (23.8 saves per game) has been the top netminder in goal for the Panthers. Reimer has 11 wins, 18 losses, and five overtime losses to his credit and has recorded a pedestrian 3.07 goals against average and a poor .901 save percentage this year.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Betting Predictions
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Panthers, O/U – Over
Betting Trends
- Power-play opportunities could have a critical role in the outcome of this matchup. The Lightning are 13-9 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 20-14 when they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Panthers are 13-16 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 13-22 in games where their penalty minutes are in the single digits.
- Florida is 2-4 in games decided by a shootout this season while Tampa Bay is 4-1 in shootouts.
- Tampa Bay could have an advantage if it’s a tight one late. The team’s an impressive 17-6 in games decided by one goal, while Florida is 11-16 in such games.
- The under has hit in four of Florida’s last five games.
- Tampa Bay is ranked seventh this season with 8.5 giveaways per game. That figure’s trended higher recently, as it’s averaged 9.5 giveaways over its last 10 games and 11.0 giveaways over its last five.
- Florida is ranked 31st this season with 14.8 giveaways per game. That figure has trended upward recently, as it’s averaged 17.6 giveaways over its last 10 games and 19.4 giveaways over its last five.
- Tampa Bay skaters have accounted for the eighth-most hits in the league (25.5 per game).
