The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins meet Saturday in NHL action from the PPG Paints Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s a Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins prediction.
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning come into this one looking to build on a 7-4 win over Montreal last time out. Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning in scoring with 133 points including a team-high 43 goals and 90 assists while Brayden Point has 43 goals and 42 assists for his 85 points. Victor Hedman’s added 72 points with 59 assists while Steven Stamkos has 71 points with 37 assists and Brandon Hagel has 70 points split between 24 goals and 46 assists. Jonas Johansson has gone 12-7-5 with a 3.37 GAA and an .890 save percentage while Andrei Vasilevskiy is 29-17-2 with a 2.82 GAA and a .901 save percentage this season.
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Facts
- The Lightning have won each of their last six day games following a road win.
- The Lightning have covered the puck line in each of their last five day games against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Lightning have won the first period in each of their last four games against the Penguins.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2’ market has hit in each of the Lightning’s last nine games as favorites against the Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins Team Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins come into this game looking to build on a three-game win streak after a 4-1 win over Washington last time out. Sidney Crosby leads the Penguins in scoring with 84 points including a team-high 39 goals and 45 assists. Evgeni Malkin has 59 points with 23 goals and 36 assists while Erik Karlsson’s added 48 points with 39 assists and Kris Letang has 48 points of his own with 40 assists this season. Tristan Jarry has gone 19-24-5 with a 2.90 GAA and a .903 save percentage while Alex Nedeljkovic has a 15-6-6 record with a 2.78 GAA and a .908 save percentage this season. The Penguins will meet the Maple Leafs, Red Wings, and Bruins after this one.
Pittsburgh Penguins Team Facts
- The Penguins have won each of their last six day games at PPG Paints Arena against opponents on a winning streak.
- The Penguins have covered the puck line in each of their last four games as underdogs.
- The Penguins have lost the second period in each of their last six games as underdogs against Atlantic Division opponents.
- The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 2′ market has hit in each of the Penguins’ last 11 home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Lightning vs. Penguins Prediction
I’m on the Penguins here. I think the Lightning are hot right now but so is Pittsburgh and the Penguins need this win a heck of a lot more than the Lightning do at this point. The Bolts are a dangerous team without question, but I think all of the value in this spot is on the desperate team so give me the Penguins at home in this one.