Florida Panthers (47-31-4) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8)
April 30, 2025 7:30 pm EDT
The Line: Tampa Bay Lightning -115 / Florida Panthers -105; Over/Under: 5.5
(Get latest betting odds)
In this article, we will formulate a Lightning vs Panthers prediction for this NHL game on Wednesday, April 30, at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this NHL matchup.
Florida Panthers Betting Preview
The Florida Panthers (50-32-4, 38-48 ATS) are one step away from advancing to the second round of the playoffs after defeating the Lightning in three of four games so far. The Lightning managed to pull one back after back-to-back Florida wins, but the Panthers won Game 4 4-2 at home to make it 3-1. Anton Lundell, Aaron Ekblad, Seth Jones, and Carter Verhaeghe scored for the Panthers, while Sergei Bobrovsky saved 18 of 20 shots he faced.
The Panthers score 3.00 goals per game on average (15th), while they concede 2.72 GPG (7th). This season, Sam Reinhart leads the team with 85 points (40 G and 45 A). Aleksander Barkov has 75 points (20 G and 55 A), while Matthew Tkachuk chips in with 61 points (25 G and 36 A).
Sergei Bobrovsky (35-21-2) is expected to start for the Panthers at the goal on Wednesday against the Lightning. The 36-year-old is allowing 2.44 goals per game this year with a .906 SV% and five shutouts.
Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning (48-30-8, 44-42 ATS) bounced back from two opening home defeats in the series with a 5-1 road win, but they couldn’t tie the series and regain the home-ice advantage after losing 4-2 in Game 4 in Florida. The Lightning had a 2-1 lead entering the third period, but the hosts scored three unanswered and secured the win. Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak scored for Tampa, while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 19 of 22 shots he faced.
The Lightning average 3.56 goals per game this year (1st), while they allow 2.63 GPG (4th). Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 125 points (37 G and 88 A). Brandon Hagel contributes 92 points (37 G and 55 A), while Jake Guentzel has 85 points (44 G and 41 A).
Andrei Vasilevskiy (39-23-5) will likely take his place in the cage for the Lightning on Wednesday against the Panthers. The 30-year-old is allowing 2.18 goals per game this year with a .921 SV% and six shutouts.
Total Goals Facts
- Eight of the Lightning’s last nine home games have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Six of the last seven games between teams from the same division have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Five of the Panthers’ last six games have gone OVER the total goals line.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 3′ market has hit in each of the Panthers’ last 10 Wednesday night games.
- The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1’ market has hit in four of the Lightning’s last five games following a road loss.
Matchup/League Facts
- The Tampa Bay Lightning rank 4th in the league for goals against per game this season (2.63).
- The Tampa Bay Lightning rank 5th in the league in power play percentage this season (25.86%).
- The Florida Panthers rank 2nd in the league in short-handed goals this season (12).
- The Florida Panthers rank 3rd in the league for shots per game this season (31.6).
Lightning vs Panthers Prediction
The Panthers won six of the previous ten H2H encounters, including five of eight duels this season. The Panthers don’t have to rush things in Game 5 as they can wait for the right opportunities on the counter against Tampa, which has to be aggressive from the start. I believe the Panthers will score a couple of goals through fast breaks. Six of the previous ten H2Hs went Over, which was the case in eight of Tampa’s last ten games. Three of four games in this series also went Over, so I am going with another one on Wednesday.
