Lightning vs. Penguins prediction, odds, pick – 11/19/2024
11/19/2024 12:39 AM
The Pittsburgh Penguins love playing against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Lightning has been one of the most dominant teams of the past five years, and the Penguins have been in the twilight of their glory years. However, the Penguins have won seven of their last ten games and six of the previous seven. Sometimes, a team has an opponent’s number, and it looks like that could be the case for the Penguins against the Lightning. Sidney Crosby has five goals and six assists over his past seven games against the Lightning. It looks like the matchup could pit Andrei Vasilevskiy against Alex Nedeljkovic. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Lightning-Penguins prediction and pick.
Here are the Lightning-Penguins NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Lightning-Penguins Odds
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+165)
Moneyline: -150
Pittsburgh Penguins: +1.5 (-200)
Moneyline: +125
Over: 6.5 (-110)
Under: 6.5 (-110)
How To Watch Lightning vs. Penguins
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: Fanduel Sports Network, Sportsnet Pittsburgh
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Lightning maintain a third-place spot in the Atlantic Division thanks to back-to-back wins over the Winnipeg Jets and the New Jersey Devils. The Jets and Devils are two of the best teams in the NHL, and these wins should get the Lightning back on track. The Lightning had lost four consecutive games before those victories, including losses against the Philadelphia Flyers and the St. Louis Blues. The Lightning have been unable to maintain form over sustained periods, as their last nine games have been three consecutive wins, four consecutive losses, and two consecutive victories. Can they make it another three-game streak against the Penguins?
Bad news for the Eastern Conference: Andrei Vasilevskiy is back. Vasilevskiy didn’t have a super start to the year but has recently turned his numbers into an 8-5-1 record with a 2.15 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. Vasilevskiy has been a force over the last three games, allowing two goals on 84 shots. If Vasilevskiy starts this game and maintains that form, it’ll be a long night for the Penguins. Their goaltenders have a combined 3.90 goals-against average and a .881 save percentage.
Why the Penguins Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Penguins haven’t been as bad over the last ten games as people would like you to believe. Their 4-4-2 record keeps them in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division. It also gives them 17 points, just two points behind the Boston Bruins for the second wild-card spot. Pittsburgh’s front office is talking about a teardown of their core, minus Crosby, but they shouldn’t be too hasty with their current standings situation.
Special teams can win games, and the Penguins have a good unit. The Lightning are still trying to figure out their powerplay without Steven Stamkos, so they sit 15th in powerplay efficiency. The Penguins have an above-average penalty kill, owning an 81.7% penalty kill efficiency.
Final Lightning-Penguins Prediction & Pick
The Lightning is starting to heat up, and their offensive weapons are front and center. Nikita Kucherov has eight points in his last five games, and Vasilevskiy is playing some of his best hockey in the past two seasons. The Penguins’ top scorer over the same span is Anthony Beauvillier, who scored five points. The Lightning beat up on superior opponents in their last two games, which could set them up nicely for this game.
Final Lightning-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Lightning -1.5 (+165)
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