St. Louis Blues vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Pick & Prediction 12/19/24
Planning on watching today’s Blues and Lightning game? Catch the action at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL, as the Lightning hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Lightning as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 6 goals.
ST. LOUIS BLUES VS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING BETTING PICK
The Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5
This game will be played at Amalie Arena at 7:00 ET on Thursday, December 19th.
WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:
- Our prediction for this game is that the Lightning will come out on top with a projected score of 4-2.
- Take the Lightning on the moneyline
- The Lightning should also cover at -1.5
Do the Blues Have a Shot at a Road Win?
With a 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs, the Blues evened their record at 15-15-3. St. Louis covered the puck line as underdogs, and the total line of 6 goals was a push.
After falling behind in the first period, the Blues responded with 4 straight goals. Three different players found the net, with Colton Parayko leading the way with two goals.
Colton Parayko led the way for the Blues with two goals in their 4-2 win over the Maple Leafs, including his 5th assist on Pavel Buchnevich’s 4th goal of the season, which came on an empty net. Parayko now has 3 goals on the season, with his 2nd and 3rd goals coming in the 2nd period. Jordan Kyrou added his 3rd goal of the year.
St. Louis took 24 shots on goal and scored three times in the 2nd period after a scoreless 1st. They had 14 giveaways and finished with 5 assists, including Ryan Suter’s 2nd and 3rd assists of the season.
Defensively, the Blues allowed the opening goal 5:25 into the first period and another late in the third, but they held the Maple Leafs scoreless for a crucial stretch from the 14:35 mark of the first period until 13:52 into the third. Jordan Binnington made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, while the defense contributed 3 takeaways and 17 hits.
Do the Lightning Have What it Takes at Home?
After a 7-4 loss to the Jets, the Lightning now sit at 17-10-2. Tampa Bay held a 2-0 lead early, but the Jets responded with seven of the next nine goals. The total line was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 11 goals easily surpassed that number. Tampa Bay, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover.
Four different Lightning players found the net in this one. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring at 13:11 in the first period, and Tampa Bay added another goal before the Jets got on the board. The game was tied at 4-4 in the third period before Winnipeg pulled away with three unanswered goals.
Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for Tampa Bay with his 7th goal of the season, followed by Brayden Point’s 8th, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee netted his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov scored his 10th, unassisted, in the third period.
The Lightning took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways, scoring twice in the first period, once in the second, and once more in the third.
Defensively, the Lightning had a tough outing, giving up 7 goals, including two empty-netters late in the 3rd period. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%. Tampa Bay’s defense also recorded 6 takeaways and 16 hits.