Panthers vs. Lightning prediction, odds, pick – 12/22/2024
12/21/2024 07:00 PM
The Florida Panthers will battle the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday. It’s the Battle of Florida at Amalie Arena, as we share our NHL odd series and make a Panthers-Lightning prediction and pick.
The Lightning are 70-48 against the Panthers over the past 118 showdowns. This will be the first meeting of the 2024-2025 season. Significantly, the Panthers went 3-1 against the Lightning last season. The Panthers are 5-3-2 over the past 10 games against the Lightning. Additionally, the Cats are 3-1-1 over the past five games against the Bolts at Amalie Arena. The Panthers are also 4-1 against the spread over the last five against the Lightning.
Here are the Panthers-Lightning NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Panthers-Lightning Odds
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+220)
Moneyline: -110
Tampa Bay Lightning: +1.5 (-280)
Moneyline: -110
Over: 6.5 (+104)
Under: 6.5 (-128)
How To Watch Panthers vs Lightning
Time: 5 PM ET/2 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, Scripps, and FanDuel Sports Sun
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Why the Panthers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Panthers won, mainly thanks to an incredible individual effort from Aleksander Barkov, who took the puck against three Blues’ defenders and drew a penalty. Then, Barkov scored the game-winning powerplay goal. The Panthers struggled to do much in this game, but Barkov saved them.
After his performance, Barkov has 10 goals and 22 assists, including five on the powerplay. Moreover, he remains an ace on the faceoff, winning 220 draws and losing 133. Sam Reinhart also assisted with the game-winning goal. Currently, he has 20 goals and 23 assists. His one weakness is faceoffs, as Reinhart has won just 111 draws and lost 149.
Matthew Tkachuk started off the season slowly. However, he is starting to pick things up. Tkachuk has tallied eight goals and nine assists over his past 10 games. Therefore, he now has 13 goals and 20 assists. Carter Verhaeghe has also been solid, with nine goals and 18 assists. Likewise, Sam Bennett has 13 goals and 14 assists.
The Panthers are tied for third in goals and second in assists. Additionally, they have done a great job at shooting the puck, ranking sixth in shooting percentage. The Panthers are also solid on the extra-man attack, ranking fifth on the powerplay.
The Panthers need a blueline upgrade, as their defense has struggled this season, ranking 23rd in goals against. While the defense has struggled, they have done slightly better at killing penalties, ranking 12th on the penalty kill. Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky has had his issues, going 16-6-1 with a 2.79 goals-against average and a save percentage of .896.
The Panthers will cover the spread if they can strike fast, and Barkov can make plays happen. Then, they need to defend the crease well and prevent the Lightning from striking.
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
Life in Tampa Bay continues to be great. The Lightning are coming off a 3-1 win over the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. Now, they hope to continue the momentum they have built for themselves.
If this season has proved anything, Nikita Kucherov has been elite, scoring 14 goals and 35 assists. Yet, he only has one powerplay goal. Brayden Point has 21 goals and 17 assists, including an astonishing 11 conversions on the powerplay. Brandon Hagel has tallied 15 goals and 22 assists. Likewise, Jake Gunetzel has added 18 goals and 15 assists, including seven tallies on the powerplay.
The Lightning continues to be electric, tying for third in goals while also ranking fourth in assists. Also, the Bolts are the most accurate shooting team in the NHL, ranking first in the league in shooting percentage. The Lightning are also dangerous in the extra-man attack, ranking third in the powerplay.
The defense has remained excellent in Tampa, ranking fourth in goals against. Likewise, they have remained solid at killing penalties, ranking 14th on the penalty kill. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy continues to be one of the best goalies in the world, coming in with a record of 15-9 -1 with a 2.38 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911.
The Lightning will cover the spread if Kucherov gets loose and finds multiple scoring chances. Then, the defense must continue to play well and prevent Barkov from making plays.
Final Panthers-Lightning Prediction & Pick
The Panthers are 17-17 against the spread, while the Lightning are 16-14 against the odds. Moreover, the Panthers are 9-9 against the spread on the road, while the Lightning are 8-7 against the odds at home. The Panthers are 20-14 against the over/under, while the Lightning are 14-12-4 against the over/under.
When these teams play, you will either get a 2-1 game or an 8-7 final. It’s very unpredictable. But I think both teams are bound to explode after exhausting so much defensive energy in their last games. Because of that, I can see this going over 6.5 goals.
Final Panthers-Lightning Prediction & Pick: Over: 6.5 (+104)
The post Panthers vs. Lightning prediction, odds, pick – 12/22/2024 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
