Sidney Crosby, Phil Kessel, and the Pittsburgh Penguins will face off against Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena in an Eastern Conference tilt. AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh will air the game, and the opening face-off is at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 9.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Moneyline and Over/Under (O/U) odds have not yet been posted for this matchup.
Tampa Bay is 39-15 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 14.3 units this season. That winning percentage, best in the league so far in this young season, is an improvement compared to how the team performed during the 2017-18 season (54-28). Among its 54 games this season, 27 have gone over the total, while 25 have gone under and just two have pushed. The team’s 20-7 SU at home this season.
The Lightning currently tout the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as they have found the net on 29.0 percent of their extra-man chances this year. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked second overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 84.6 percent of all penalties.
Averaging 30.8 saves per game with a .927 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (21-11-4) has been the best option in goal for Tampa Bay this year. If the Bolts, however, decide to rest him, the team may turn to Louis Domingue (17-4-4 record, .906 save percentage, 2.95 goals against average).
On the visiting bench, Pittsburgh is 28-26 straight up (SU) and has lost 13.4 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 54 regular season outings, 25 of its games have gone over the total, while 24 have gone under the total and just five have pushed. As the away team, the Penguins are 13-14 SU so far.
The Penguins have converted on 23.7 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a mark that’s good enough for eighth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 11th overall and it’s successfully killed off 81.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
Casey DeSmith (.918 save percentage and 2.69 goals against average) has been the primary option in goal for Pittsburgh. DeSmith is averaging 27.6 saves per game and owns a 13-17-5 record.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Predictions
Free Prediction: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- The Penguins are 1-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Lightning are 4-1 in shootouts.
- The total has gone under in each of Tampa Bay’s last five outings.
- Two teams that have clobbered opponents’ nets with shots, Pittsburgh has attempted the league’s 10th-most shots on goal (32.5) while Tampa Bay has attempted the ninth-most (32.7).
- Seven of Pittsburgh’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 2-5 in those games.
- This game features two of the more physical defenses in the league. Pittsburgh skaters have accounted for the league’s second-most hits per game (29.3) while the Lightning have registered the seventh-most (25.5).
