In their third head-to-head meeting of the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Ottawa Senators take the ice at Canadian Tire Centre for an Atlantic Division tilt. Fox Sports Sun will broadcast the game, which gets underway at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, February 22.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Ottawa Senators Odds
Tampa Bay (-200) is currently the favorite over Ottawa (+170) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at an even 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -120 for the over and +100 for the under.
Tampa Bay is 40-20 straight up (SU) and has netted moneyline bettors 9.3 units this year. 37 of its outings have gone over the total, while 22 have gone under and just one has pushed. This 2017-18 Lightning team is 20-13 SU on the road.
Tampa Bay comes into the match up with the second-strongest power-play unit in the NHL, as it’s converted on 24.9 percent of its extra-man advantages this year. Its penalty kill is ranked 26th overall, and it has successfully killed off only 77.8 percent of its penalties.
For the team as a whole, the Bolts have been penalized 4.0 times per game overall during the 2017-18 season, and 2.6 per game over its last five contests. The team has been forced to stave off opponent power plays just 7.2 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Averaging 29.3 saves per game with a .928 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (35-15-2) has been the primary option in goal for Tampa Bay this year. If head coach Jon Cooper decides to rest him, however, Tampa Bay could roll with Louis Domingue (2-10), who has a .877 save percentage and 3.90 goals against average this year.
Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos will both spearhead the attack for the visiting Lightning. Kucherov has 78 points on 32 goals and 46 assists, and has recorded two or more points 25 times. Stamkos has 24 goals and 44 assists to his credit, and has notched a point in 41 games.
Over on the other bench, Ottawa is 21-38 straight up (SU) and has lost 16.3 units for moneyline bettors thus far. Through 59 regular season contests, 31 of its games have gone over the total, while 27 have gone under and none have pushed. It’s 14-16 SU as the home team this season.
The Senators have converted on just 16.2 percent of their power play chances this year, a figure that places them in the bottom overall among NHL teams. Its penalty kill is also ranked 29th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 74.4 percent of all opponent power plays.
Senators players have been sent to the penalty box 3.6 times per game in total this season, and 2.8 per game over their last five outings. The team has had to kill penalties just 8.5 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Craig Anderson has stopped 27.5 shots per game as the top netminder in goal for the Senators. Anderson has 18 wins, 26 losses, and five OT losses to his credit and has registered a mediocre 3.21 goals against average and a poor .903 save percentage this year.
Mark Stone (19 goals, 33 assists) will pace the offensive counter for Ottawa.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Ottawa Senators Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Senators, O/U – Under
T Betting Trends
- Two of Ottawa’s last ten games have gone to a shootout. The team is 1-1 in those games and 2-6 overall in shootouts this year.
- The total has gone over in four of Ottawa’s last five games.
- Tampa Bay has managed 28.8 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Ottawa is averaging 33.8 shots per game over its last five home outings.
- Over Tampa Bay’s last ten games, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 5-2 in those games).
- The Senators this season have registered the seventh-most hits per game (23.9).
