Carolina Hurricanes vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Pick & Prediction 1/7/25
Don’t miss out on the NHL showdown between the Hurricanes and Lightning. The game is starting at 7:00 ET on FDSS, and it’s hosted by the Lightning at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. Get ready to place your bets! The Hurricanes come into this Eastern conference matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite. The over/under line currently sits at 6 goals.
CAROLINA HURRICANES 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 Tuesday, January 7th.
WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:
- The Hurricanes enter this game as 1.5-goal favorites and in our projections and we anticipate them winning by a score of 4-3.
- Take the Hurricanes on the moneyline
- On the puck line, we like Lightning (+1.5)
Can the Hurricanes Offense Score Enough in Tampa?
Carolina improved to 24-14-2 with a 4-2 win over the Capitals. The Hurricanes covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, with the total of 6 goals matching the pre-game line.
The Hurricanes took an early lead, but the Capitals responded with two goals in the first period. Carolina tied it up in the second and added two more, including an empty-netter, to secure the victory.
Carolina fired 45 shots on goal, with Dmitry Orlov scoring twice on his 3 shots. Orlov now has 3 goals this season. Martin Necas added his 6th goal and picked up two assists, bringing his assist total to 12. Andrei Svechnikov also netted his 6th goal, which came on an empty net with 9 seconds left in the game.
After a scoreless first period, the Hurricanes got on the board with Necas’ goal at 17:31 in the second. Orlov followed with his second goal of the game at 14:34 in the same period. Carolina’s offense had 14 giveaways.
Defensively, the Hurricanes will look to carry their momentum from the previous game, where they allowed just 2 goals on 21 shots from the Capitals. Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves, finishing with a 90.5% save percentage. Carolina’s defense also contributed 7 takeaways, 10 hits, and 11 blocks. After giving up two late goals in the first period, they kept Washington off the scoreboard in the second and third.
Does Tampa Bay Stand a Chance at Home?
The Lightning fell to 20-15-2 with a 7-4 loss to the Jets. Tampa Bay’s defense struggled in the third period, allowing four goals, including two empty-netters. The total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.
Tampa Bay led 2-0 early, but the Jets tied it up and eventually took control. The Lightning were underdogs on the puck line, and their four different goal scorers couldn’t keep pace with Winnipeg’s offense.
In their 7-4 loss to the Jets, the Lightning’s offense started with Brandon Hagel’s 7th goal of the season. Brayden Point followed with his 8th, scoring on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th, unassisted in the 3rd period.
Tampa Bay took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. The Lightning had 4 assists, with Jake Guentzel picking up his 8th of the season.
Defensively, Tampa Bay struggled late, giving up two empty-net goals and a total of four in the third period. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage. The Lightning’s defense finished with 16 hits and 6 takeaways.