Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview

PPG Paints Arena will play host to an enticing showdown as the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning. The game will get going at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 15, and you’ll be able to catch this Eastern Conference matchup live on AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins Odds

Both squads have an identical -110 money line, and the Over/Under (O/U) has been placed at an even 6 goals (-125 to bet the over, +105 for the under).

Tampa Bay is 12-6 straight up (SU) and has netted 0.8 units for moneyline bettors this season. Through 18 regular season matches, nine of its games have gone under the total, while eight have gone over and one has pushed. As the road team this season, the Bolts are 5-3 SU.

Tampa Bay has converted on 23.8 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. Its penalty kill is ranked second overall, and the team’s successfully killed off a whopping 87.9 percent of all penalties.

For the team as a whole, Tampa Bay has been sent to the penalty box 4.0 times per game overall this season, 3.8 per game over its past five games total, and 3.4 per game over its last five road outings. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 7.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.

Averaging 29.4 saves per game with a .927 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (9-4-1) has been the primary option in goal for Tampa Bay this season. If Tampa Bay chooses to rest him, however, they might turn to Louis Domingue (3-2), who has a .887 save percentage and 3.43 goals against average this year.

The visiting Lightning will be led by Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. Point (19 points) is up to nine goals and 10 assists, and has recorded multiple points five times. Kucherov has seven goals and 11 assists to his name, and has notched a point in 11 games.

Pittsburgh is 7-9 straight up (SU) and has lost 8.8 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 16 regular season matches, eight of its games have gone under the total, while five have gone over and three have pushed. The team’s 3-5 SU at home so far this year.

Pittsburgh has converted on 23.4 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked sixth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 84.0 percent of all penalties.

The Penguins have been penalized only 3.4 times per game this season, 4.0 per game over their past five contests total, and 3.4 per game over their last five at home. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 7.2 minutes per game over their last five home outings.

Matt Murray has denied 27.7 shots per game as the primary choice in the crease for Pittsburgh. Murray has four wins, five losses, and one OT loss and has maintained a subpar .886 save percentage and 3.87 goals against average this season.

Evgeni Malkin (seven goals, 14 assists) will lead the offensive attack for the Penguins.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Predictions

Free Pick: SU Winner – Penguins, O/U – Over

Betting Trends

The total has gone under in three of Pittsburgh’s last five games.

The Lightning are 2-4 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 4-6 in games where they serve fewer than 10 total penalty minutes.

Pittsburgh has forced 7.0 takeaways per game over its last five home games, a drop-off from its season average of 8.4 takeaways per game (ranked 10th).

Tampa Bay is ranked 17th in the NHL this season with 7.3 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as it has created 6.8 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.6 takeaways over its last five.

Tampa Bay might hold an advantage if it’s a tight one late. The team’s 4-2 in one-goal games, while Pittsburgh is 2-4 in such games.