New York Islanders vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Pick & Prediction 3/29/25
Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Islanders and Lightning. The game is starting at 2:00 ET on ESPN+, and it’s hosted by the Lightning at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. Get ready to place your bets! The over/under for this game is set at 6 goals, and the Lightning are the -1.5 goal favorites against the Islanders in a Eastern conference matchup.
NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING BETTING PICK
The Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5
This game will be played at Amalie Arena at 2:00 ET on Saturday, March 29th.
WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:
- With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Lightning to secure a 4-3 victory.
- Take the Lightning on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Islanders (+1.5)
Can New York Grab a Win on the Road?
The Islanders fell to 32-29-10 after a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Entering as underdogs on the puck line, the total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the combined 7 goals pushed it over.
New York’s defense struggled, allowing the Rangers to score first at 16:16 in the first period. The Islanders didn’t get on the board until 15:22 in the second period, when Casey Cizikas scored to make it 2-1.
In their 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders took 37 shots on goal but only managed to score twice. Casey Cizikas netted his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, with his goal coming just 8 seconds before the end of the second period.
The Islanders recorded 23 giveaways and were held scoreless in the first and third periods. Pierre Engvall picked up his first assist of the year, while Simon Holmstrom, Kyle Palmieri, and Anders Lee also contributed assists.
Defensively, the Islanders allowed the first goal just 3:44 into the game and conceded two more in the third period, including an empty-netter. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with a save percentage of 89.7%, while the defense recorded 12 takeaways and 17 hits.
Does Tampa Bay Stand a Chance at Home?
The Lightning dropped to 42-25-5 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. Tampa Bay was ahead 2-0 at one point, but their defense couldn’t hold up. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the teams combined for 11, easily surpassing that mark. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and with the loss, they didn’t cover.
Tampa Bay’s defense struggled in the third period, giving up four goals. The Lightning had four different players score in the game. Brandon Hagel got things going with a goal at 13:11 in the first period.
Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for Tampa Bay in the first period, netting his 7th goal of the season. Brayden Point followed with his 8th, coming on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal in the second period, while Nikita Kucherov scored his 10th in the third.
The Lightning fired 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They scored twice in the first period, added another in the second, and capped their scoring with Kucherov’s goal in the third.
Defensively, the Lightning struggled late, giving up two empty-net goals and a total of four goals in the 3rd period. Goalie Jonas Johansson had 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%.