Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Pick & Prediction 2/17/24

Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Panthers versus the Lightning? The puck drops at 5:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. The Panthers come into this Atlantic division matchup as the -1.5 goal favorite to pick up the win. Currently, the over/under for the game is at 6.5 goals.

FLORIDA PANTHERS VS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING BETTING PICK

The Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning +1.5

This game will be played at Amalie Arena at 5:00 ET on Saturday, February 17th.

WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:

• Coming in as 1.5 goal favorites, our projections have the Panthers picking up a 4-3 win.
• Take the Panthers on the moneyline
• On the puck line, we like Lightning (+1.5)

Are the Panthers Ready for a Road Win?

With a record of 35-15-4, the Florida Panthers come into this game as the top team in the Eastern Conference. Over their last ten games, the Panthers have gone 8-2 and have won four straight games as the favorite. On the road this season, Florida has gone 19-7-2, and they have won ten straight games away from home.

When playing against teams in the Atlantic Division, the Panthers have gone 7-4, and they have gone 18-7 against other Eastern Conference teams. Over their last three games, Florida has gone 3-0, and they have gone 4-1 over their last five games.

Florida enters the game with an overall puck line record of 27-27, including a road puck line record of 17-11. The Panthers have won four straight games against the puck line and have 23 wins by multiple goals this season. In their last ten road games, Florida’s puck line record is 7-3.

So far, the Panthers have been favored in 44 games and have a puck line record of 19-25 in those contests. Their average scoring margin this season is +.8 goals per game, and they have a scoring margin of +1.1 goals per game in their last ten road games.

This season, Florida’s games have an average of 5.7 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.3. The Panthers come in with an over/under performance of 19-33-2.

The Panthers are 2-1 puck line in their three last road games and 3-0 straight-up.

In terms of their offensive performance, the Panthers are averaging 3.2 goals per game this season, putting them in the 12th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 1st in the league. In terms of power play goals, the Panthers offense is 5th in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they are 19th in the NHL.

Florida’s leading goal scorer is Sam Reinhart. So far this season, he has 39 goals, placing him 2nd in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 26 assists so far.

Defensively, the Lightning are currently 16th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.7 shots per game against Tampa Bay. They also are 12th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky comes into the game having made 39 starts this season. So far, his record is 26-10 and he has a save percentage of 0.925%.

Will the Lightning Secure A Victory as Home Underdogs?

As the fifth-place team in the Eastern Conference, the Lightning have a record of 30-20-5. In the Atlantic Division, they are in third place. At home, Tampa Bay has won eight straight games and has a record of 18-5-3.

Over their last ten games, the Lightning have gone 7-3 and have won three straight games. When playing against other Eastern Conference teams, the Lightning have gone 14-14 this season. As the underdog, Tampa Bay has a record of 9-11-4.

At home this season, Tampa Bay’s puck line record is 17-9, and they have won their last five games against the puck line at home. Overall, the team’s puck line record is 29-26, and they have 21 wins by multiple goals.

Coming into the game, the Lightning have a puck line record of 15-16 when they are favored, and their average scoring margin at home is +1.2 goals per game. In their last three games, Tampa Bay’s puck line record is 3-0.

For the season, Tampa Bay’s games have finished with an average of 6.7 goals per game. Their average over/under line for the season is 6.5. Overall, the Lightning have an over/under record of 25-26-4.

In their last three road games, Florida has averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 1. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-0 while going 2-1 vs. the spread.

The Lightning come into the game scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game, putting them 4th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 16th in the league. This year, the Lightning have recorded a 19-11 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 11-8 record.

Tampa Bay will be looking for a good game from Nikita Kucherov who leads the team in scoring with 36 goals, ranking 3rd in the NHL. Kucherov also comes into the game with 57 assists.

Defensively, the Lightning are currently 16th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.7 shots per game against Tampa Bay. They also are 12th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Entering the game, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has started 30 games this season. His current record stands at 19-11, and his save percentage is 0.774%.