Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, and the Vancouver Canucks will face off against Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov, and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena in a cross-continent matchup. The puck drops at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 7, and you’ll be able to view it live on Sportsnet Pacific.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
The Lightning (-215) are tabbed as the big favorites over the Canucks (+180) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 7 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Despite posting a record of 24-17 straight up (SU), Tampa Bay has produced 3.4 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 41 regular season contests, 24 of the team’s games have gone over the total, while 16 have gone under and just one has pushed. The team is 12-9 SU at home this year.
The Lightning enter the matchup with the third-best power-play unit in the NHL, as the team has found the net on 28.6 percent of their extra-man chances this year. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked ninth overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 82.0 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 28.3 saves per game with a .911 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (19-11-2) has been the top goalkeeper for Tampa Bay this year. If head coach Jon Cooper decides to give him a rest, however, the team may go with Curtis McElhinney (5-6-6 record, .904 save percentage, 3.19 goals against average).
On the other bench, Vancouver is 23-19 straight up (SU) and has earned 4.0 units for moneyline bettors this season. A total of 21 of its games have gone over the total, while 18 have gone under the total and just three have pushed. As an away team , the Canucks are 9-11 SU.
The Canucks have scored on 25.3 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that places it in the top-five among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 15th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.0 percent of all opponent power plays.
Jacob Markstrom (2.66 goals against average and .919 save percentage) has been the main option in goal for Vancouver. Markstrom is averaging 30.1 saves per game and has 15 wins, 14 losses, and three overtime losses to his credit.
Vancouver Canucks vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- Five of Tampa Bay’s last ten contests have been decided by two or more goals. The team is 4-1 overall in those games.
- Extra-man opportunities could be even more key than usual in tonight’s matchup. The Canucks are 9-13 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 15-12 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Lightning are 9-7 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 13-9 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- The under has hit in three of Tampa Bay’s last five outings.
- Vancouver has averaged 8.6 giveaways over its last five home games, right in line with its season average of 8.4 giveaways per game (the sixth-fewest in the league).
- Tampa Bay is ranked 3rd this season with just 7.8 giveaways per game. That figure has trended upward lately, as the team’s averaged 9.1 giveaways over its last 10 games and 9.4 giveaways over its last five.
- The Lightning this season have registered the 10th-most hits in the league (23.5 per game).
