Amalie Arena plays host to an East-West matchup as the Tampa Bay Lightning welcome the visiting Nashville Predators. The matchup will get underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 1, and you are able to catch it live on Fox Sports Tennesse.
Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Nashville (+105) is currently the underdog to Tampa Bay (-125), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Nashville is 9-3 straight up (SU) and has netted 3.9 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 12 regular season contests, six of its games have gone over the total, while five have gone under and just one has pushed. This 2018-19 Predators team is 5-0 SU on the road.
The Predators have found the net on 15.6 percent of their power play opportunities thus far. That’s a fairly big drop-off from last season, when they were ranked 11th in the league by converting on 21.2 percent of their extra-man opportunities. Their penalty kill has fallen off drastically since last year, as they’ve gone from successfully defending 82.2 percent of opponents’ power plays (ranked sixth overall last season) to 75.0 percent this year.
The Preds, as a collective unit, have been called for penalties 3.8 times per game in the 2018-19 season. Last year, that figure was the highest mark in the league at 4.5 penalties per game. After serving an average of 10.9 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays for only 8.6 minutes per matchup this year.
Averaging 24.9 saves per game with a .917 save percentage, Juuse Saros (6-2) has been the best option in goal for Nashville this year. If it decides to rest him, however, the team might go with Pekka Rinne (4-1 record, .929 save percentage, 2.10 goals against average).
Filip Forsberg and Ryan Johansen will both lead the offensive attack for the visiting Predators. Forsberg (14 points) is up to 10 goals and four assists, and has recorded two or more points in four different games. Johansen has two goals and 11 assists to his credit (and has logged at least one point in eight games).
On the other bench, Tampa Bay is 8-3 straight up (SU) and has netted 2.5 units for moneyline bettors this year. Six of its games have gone under the total, while five have gone over and none have pushed. This year, the team is 5-1 SU at home.
The Lightning have converted on 29.3 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that’s good enough for fifth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked second overall, and it’s successfully killed off 93.2 percent of all penalties.
Tampa Bay players have been sent to the penalty box 4.4 times per game this season. Last year, that number was at 4.1, the fifth-highest mark in the league. After serving an average of 9.6 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has had to stave off opponent power plays for 9.6 minutes per outing this year.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has stopped 29.0 shots per game as the primary choice in goal for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy has six wins, two losses, and one overtime loss to his credit and has maintained a solid 1.98 goals against average and a .935 save percentage this season.
Brayden Point (seven goals, seven assists) will pace the offensive attack for the Lightning.
Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Predictions
Prediction: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Under
