The battle of the Sunshine State continues on Tuesday as the Florida Panthers host the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their first-round series in the Eastern Conference. The Panthers beat the Lightning 3-2 in Game 1 on Sunday. This is one of four games on the NHL schedule today.
Lightning vs Panthers Picks
- Pick 1: Lightning +160
- Pick 2: Under 5.5 (-125)
Andrei Vasilevskiy (2.90 GAA, .900 save percentage) is expected to start in goal for the Lightning Panthers picks, and Sergei Bobrovsky, who stopped 17 of 19 shots faced in Game 1, will be between the pipes for the Panthers. Let’s take a look at the Lightning vs Panthers predictions.
Keep track of the Scores and Odds! Get top daily betting insights at Insider’s Betting Digest
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Odds
Tampa Bay is a +160 moneyline underdog in the Lightning vs Panthers predictions and+1.5 (-165) for the puck line. The Panthers are -190 moneyline favorites with -1.5 (+140) Panthers betting odds for the puck line. The total is 5.5, with NHL odds of -125 and +105 for the over and under, respectively.
Value on the Underdog? Check Today’s picks and parlays at Insider’s Betting Digest and Win big!
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Information
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers
Location of the game: Amerant Bank Arena in Florida, Tampa
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET
Where to Watch: ESPN and SN360 (Canada)
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Betting Preview
Lightning Hoping to Even Series
Tampa Bay was outplayed in almost every aspect of the game in Game 1 on Sunday but made things close with a goal from Steven Stamkos with just eight seconds remaining. Florida, one of the favorites in NHL picks today to win the Stanley Cup, outshot the Tampa Bay Lightning 28-19, including 13-9 in the third period.
Tampa Bay comes into the Lightning vs Panthers predictions following a mediocre finish to the regular season, going 5-4-1 in their last 10 games as they mostly seemed to focus on getting NHL player stats leader Nikita Kucherov his 100th assist, which he achieved in the final game of the season.
This is a rematch from two years ago when the Florida Panthers swept the Lighting. This is the third playoff series between the two NHL teams since 2020. Tampa Bay is 8-2-1 in their 11 playoff contests during that time. Mikhail Sergachev and Haydn Fleury are on the NHL injury report for the Lightning.
Panthers Boast League’s Best Defense
The Panthers surprised many with their strong finish to last season and Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final, but they’re not catching anyone off guard this year. Florida finished top-10 in NHL stats for several offensive and defensive categories, including second in shots (33.7), eighth in power-play percentage (23.5), first in goals allowed (2.41), and third in shots allowed (27.8).
Florida’s defense is its key to victory – the team allowed just six goals in its last six NHL scores of the regular season and proved to be a problem for the Lightning in Game 1. They also have some incredibly talented offensive players, with Game 1 scorer Sam Reinhart second in goals (57) this year. Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov also averaged more than a point per game.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Betting Picks
The Lightning will be highly motivated to even the series up and Vasilevskiy will be a problem for the Panthers. At best, he had a mediocre regular season, but looked solid in his playoff debut. He has historically performed better in the playoffs too, with a 2.37 GAA and .921 save percentage compared to a 2.56 GAA and .917 save percentage.
- Pick 1: Lightning +160
- Pick 2: Under 5.5 (-125)
Discover the latest stats and trends of this matchup here:
If you love sports and want more sports betting information follow us as @InsidersBetDig on Twitter . Sign up to our mailing list for free betting picks. Make sure to visit the best offshore betting sites to maximize your betting experience.
