Squaring off for the third and final time this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New Jersey Devils collide at the Prudential Center in an Eastern Conference showdown. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 24, and you can watch the game live on MSG Plus 2.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New Jersey Devils Odds
Tampa Bay enters the game as the substantial favorite with a moneyline of -165. The line for New Jersey sits at +145 and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-120 for the over, +100 for the under).
Tampa Bay is 51-23 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 12.9 units this year. Through 74 regular season outings, 47 of its games have gone over the total, while 26 have gone under and just one has pushed. As an away team this season, the Bolts are 24-13 SU.
Tampa Bay comes into the match up with the second-best power-play unit in the NHL, as it’s found the net on 24.4 percent of its extra-man chances this season. Its penalty kill is ranked 27th out of 31 teams, and it has successfully killed off only 75.9 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, the Bolts have been penalized 4.1 times per game overall this season, 4.2 per game over its past five matchups total, and 4.4 per game over its last five road outings. The teams been forced to kill penalties 11.0 minutes per game over their last five road outings.
Averaging 29.5 saves per game with a .921 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (42-18-3) has been the best option in goal for Tampa Bay this season. If it chooses to rest him, however, Tampa Bay could turn to Louis Domingue (6-10), who has a .890 save percentage and 3.49 goals against average this year.
Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos will both lead the way for the visiting Lightning. Kucherov (95 points) has tallied 37 goals and 58 assists, and has recorded multiple points 30 times. Stamkos has 27 goals and 59 assists to his creditand has registered a point in 51 games.
On the other side of the ice, New Jersey is 38-36 straight up (SU) and has earned 7.0 units for moneyline bettors this season. 36 of its contests have gone over the total, while 35 have gone under and just two have pushed. It’s 18-17 SU as the home team this year.
The Devils have converted on just 20.4 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 10th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 82.0 percent of all penalties.
Devils players have been whistled for penalties 3.8 times per game in total this season, and 2.0 per game over their last five at home. The teams had to kill penalties just 5.8 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Cory Schneider (28.0 saves per game) has been the top selection in goal for the Devils. Schneider has 18 wins, 21 losses, and six OT losses to his credit and has maintained a pedestrian 2.88 goals against average and a subpar .909 save percentage this season.
Taylor Hall (33 goals, 48 assists) will pace the offensive attack for the Devils.
Tampa Bay Lightning at New Jersey Devils Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- Tampa Bay has scored 3.7 goals per game overall this year, but is scoring 4.7 per match up over the teams three-game winning streak.
- Extra-man opportunities may prove to be key tonight. The Lightning are 25-12 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 29-14 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes. The Devils are 10-20 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 19-28 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- Two of Tampa Bay’s last ten games have gone to a shootout. The team is 2-0 in those games and 6-2 overall in shootouts this season.
- The total has gone over in three of New Jersey’s last five games.
- New Jersey has averaged 9.6 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 7.9 giveaways per game (ranked 7th in the league).
- Tampa Bay skaters have averaged 10.0 giveaways over its last five home games, a rise over its season average of 8.4 giveaways per game (the 10th-fewest in the league).
- The Devils this season have tallied the 11th-most hits in the league (22.6 per game), but the teams averaged 25.6 over their past five games as the home team.
