You can usually look at the roster of any given NHL team and have an idea of how they might perform over the course of the 82-game season. There are a few teams that are hard to do that with, though, as they are filled with younger guys and unknown commodities, making it difficult to predict how they are going to gel and perform. One team that came into this season with a lot of question marks is the Carolina Hurricanes, and it’s fair to say that they are playing above expectations right now. They are still in the hunt for the playoffs, but need to continue picking up points of they want to keep pace with the teams currently occupying the Wild Card spot. Getting anything out of their trip to Tampa Bay this Saturday is going to be a big NHL lines task, but a win is most certainly not out of the realm of possibility.
How To Bet The Carolina Vs Tampa Bay NHL Odds, TV & Game Info
When: Saturday, March 5 at 7 PM EST
Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa Bay, Florida
TV: FSS and SUN
Radio: WCMC and WFLA
Live Stream: FoxSportsGo
NHL Odds: TBA
And with this, hope you have an excellent rest of your night, #Bolts fans ⚡️pic.twitter.com/gdpu5h8Fc9
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 4, 2016
Why bet on Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning (38-22-4) are starting to flash the sort of form that saw them go all the way to the Stanley Cup Final last season. They are coming into this one having won 8 straight games, and they have now taken over the top spot in the Atlantic Division. We always knew that this was a team capable of scoring goals, but it has been defense that has been carrying this team through this winning streak. They have only given up 13 goals in those 8 wins, and when you consider that 5 of those were given up in a single game at the start of the streak, you get an idea of just how tight they have been at the back. The Lightning are averaging 2.8 GPG, and are giving up 2.3 GPG.
Why bet on the Carolina Hurricanes
As you might expect from a team filled with younger talent, the Carolina Hurricanes (29-26-10) are having a tough time playing with any level of consistency. They are 5-5-0 in their last 10 games, which is pretty much the sort of pace they have been setting all season long. The Hurricanes are currently 6 points back of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, and they swung a couple of deals at the trade deadline that they hope will give the team the spark it needs to push on and get into the postseason. The Hurricanes are currently 13-14-4 on the road this season, but are coming off a big 3-1 road win in New Jersey. Carolina are averaging 2.4 GPG, and are giving up 2.6 GPG.
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
The Lightning have already beaten Carolina twice this season, and they have won 8 of the last 10 against the Hurricanes overall. They are playing too well to let this one slip away, which is why I’m taking the Lightning to win again.
Carolina Hurricanes 2 Tampa Bay Lightning 4
