Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights Betting Pick & Prediction 3/23/25
Planning on watching today’s Lightning and Golden Knights game? Catch the action at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, as the Golden Knights hosts this showdown at 8:00 ET on ESPN+. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Golden Knights as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 6 goals.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS BETTING PICK
The Pick: Vegas Golden Knights -1.5
This game will be played at T-Mobile Arena at 8:00 ET on Sunday, March 23rd.
WHY BET THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS:
- With the Golden Knights being favored by 1.5, our NHL analytics models has this one playing out 4-3 in favor of the Golden Knights.
- Take the Golden Knights on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Lightning (+1.5)
Does Tampa Bay Stand a Chance on the Road?
Tampa Bay fell to 40-24-5 with a 7-4 loss to the Jets. The Lightning led 2-0 early, but Winnipeg responded with seven of the next nine goals. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 11 goals easily surpassed that mark. Tampa Bay, as the underdog on the puck line, failed to cover.
Brandon Hagel put the Lightning on the board first at 13:11 in the first period. They extended their lead with a power-play goal from Brayden Point before the Jets started their comeback. Tampa Bay’s defense struggled, allowing four goals in the third period, including two empty-netters.
Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for Tampa Bay with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point added his 8th on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee netted his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov scored his 10th, unassisted, in the third period.
The Lightning fired 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. After taking a 2-0 lead in the first period, they scored once in the second and once more in the third.
Tampa Bay’s defense struggled late against the Jets, allowing the final three goals, including two empty-netters. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, but the Lightning’s defense also gave up the first goal of the game and two more in the second period.
Does Vegas Have a Shot at a Home Win?
With a 4-3 overtime win against Utah, the Golden Knights improved to 41-20-8. Vegas, favored by -1.5 goals, didn’t cover the puck line, but the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.
Vegas fell behind 2-0 before Pavel Dorofeyev scored at 15:06 in the second period. Four different players scored for the Golden Knights, with Brett Howden netting the game-winner at 2:15 in overtime.
The Golden Knights took 35 shots on goal and scored four times in their 4-3 overtime win against Utah. Brett Howden netted his 6th goal of the season in overtime, while William Karlsson added his 2nd goal of the year, which came at 14:23 in the third period. Pavel Dorofeyev opened the scoring for Vegas with his 7th goal, and Noah Hanifin followed up with his 2nd goal of the season.
Hanifin also contributed with two assists, bringing his season total to 5. Vegas had 13 giveaways and failed to convert on any power play opportunities.
Defensively, the Golden Knights will look to improve after allowing the first two goals and another late in the third period, forcing overtime. Adin Hill made 16 saves with a save percentage of 84.2%. The Knights’ defense also recorded 10 takeaways and 22 hits.