The Tampa Bay Lightning, fueled by Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, are ready to take the ice against Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place in a cross-continent tilt. The first puck will drop at 10 p.m. ET on Saturday, December 22, and you’ll be able to watch it live on Fox Sports Sun.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Edmonton Oilers Odds
Tampa Bay (-145) is currently the favorite over Edmonton (+125), and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 7 goals. The odds for betting that total stand at -125 for the under and +105 for the over.
Tampa Bay is 27-9 straight up (SU) and has netted 11.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. 20 of its games have gone over the total, while 14 have gone under and just two have pushed. This 2018-19 Lightning team is 12-5 SU on the road.
Tampa Bay currently touts the third-best power-play unit in the NHL, as it’s found the net on 28.6 percent of its extra-man opportunities this season. Its penalty kill is ranked fourth overall, and the team’s successfully killed off 84.2 percent of all penalties..
Boasting a .904 save percentage and 28.4 saves per game, Louis Domingue (15-4) has been the best option in goal for Tampa Bay this season. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, the team could roll with Andrei Vasilevskiy (11-5-2), who has a .930 save percentage and 2.35 goals against average this year.
Edmonton is 18-17 straight up (SU) and has earned 1.3 units for moneyline bettors this season. 18 of its outings have gone under the total, while 14 have gone over and just three have pushed. It’s 10-6 SU at home this season.
The Oilers have converted on just 19.3 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 27th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 76.1 percent of all opponent power plays.
Cam Talbot has stopped 26.2 shots per game as the top choice in goal for the Oilers. Talbot has seven wins, 12 losses, and two overtime losses to his credit and has maintained a pedestrian 3.21 goals against average and a subpar .894 save percentage this season.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Edmonton Oilers Betting Predictions
NHL Prediction: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The over has hit in four of Tampa Bay’s last five games.
- The Lightning are 7-3 when they attempt 10+ shots more than their opponent. They’ve averaged the league’s fifth-most shots on goal (33.3) and Edmonton has attempted just the 22nd-most (30.3).
- Five of Tampa Bay’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 5-0 in those games.
- This game features two of the tougher defenses in the league. Tampa Bay skaters have accounted for the league’s ninth-most hits per game (24.4) while the Oilers have handed the seventh-most (25.8).
