Tampa Bay Lightning vs Dallas Stars Betting Pick & Prediction 3/20/25
Making on a bet on this NHL game featuring the Lightning versus the Stars? The puck drops at 8:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on ESPN+. The game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas, TX. The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 6 goals, and the Stars are favored by -1.5 vs. the Lightning.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS DALLAS STARS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Dallas Stars -1.5
This game will be played at American Airlines Center at 8:00 ET on Thursday, March 20th.
WHY BET THE DALLAS STARS:
- The Stars 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 Stars on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Lightning (+1.5)
Can the Lightning Offense Score Enough in Dallas?
After a 7-4 loss to the Jets, the Lightning’s record is now 39-23-5. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.
The Lightning jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first period, but their defense faltered, allowing the Jets to score seven times. Four different players scored for Tampa Bay in the game.
Brandon Hagel got things started for the Lightning, netting his 7th goal of the season at 13:11 in the first period. Brayden Point followed with his 8th goal, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal in the second period, and Nikita Kucherov scored his 10th goal at 13:09 in the third period.
The Lightning took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They finished with 4 assists, including Nikita Kucherov’s 10th of the season on Brayden Point’s power-play goal.
Defensively, the Lightning will look to bounce back after allowing 7 goals to the Jets. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%. Tampa Bay’s defense also registered 6 takeaways and 16 hits. The Lightning were tied 4-4 in the 3rd period, but they gave up 3 late goals, including two empty-netters.
Will the Stars Come Through as Home Favorites?
Dallas fell to 43-21-3 after a 4-2 loss to the Panthers. The Stars, as underdogs on the puck line, didn’t cover. The total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 6 fell short of that mark.
After trailing 2-0, Dallas tied it up in the second period. However, the Panthers pulled ahead with two more goals, including an empty-netter, to seal the win.
Dallas took 25 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 4-2 loss to the Panthers. Evgenii Dadonov scored his second goal of the season on a power play, while Matt Duchene added his seventh. Duchene also picked up his eighth assist.
The Stars were held scoreless in the first period before getting both goals in the second. They finished the game with 32 offensive giveaways.
After tying the game at 2-2, the Stars’ defense gave up a goal at the 2:32 mark of the 3rd period and another at 19:00, resulting in a 4-2 loss to the Panthers. Goalie Casey DeSmith made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%. Defensively, the Stars finished with 5 takeaways and 26 hits.