From season to season, we never really know what the bar is going to be that separates teams in the playoffs from those who miss out. That said, over the years, we have seen that 95 points appears to be the mark that teams need to achieve if they are to have any shot at getting in and having a run at winning the Stanley Cup. Now that we are just beyond the midway point of the season, we can see what teams need to do in the second half based on that 95-point marker.
There are a few who look to be well on their way to reaching that point and going well beyond it, while others are going to need to up the ante to get there. The Tampa Bay Lightning look to be one of the teams that are in really good shape heading into the second half of the season, while the Winnipeg Jets are doing okay, but still need to maintain their pace over the next few months. These two will meet up on Thursday night, with the Lightning favored by 1 ½. The goal total for this one has been set at 6.
Lightning vs Jets 2020 NHL Week 15 Lines & Expert Pick
- When: Friday, January 17 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Bell MTS Place, Winnipeg
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: SiriusXM
- Live Stream: NHL.tv
- NHL Lines: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (Total 6)
Why bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning?
The Lightning came into the season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but it took them some time to get going. They have actually spent a portion of the season sitting below the playoff line in the Eastern Conference, but they are a team on the rise right now, moving all the way up to second in the Atlantic Division.Overall, the Lightning are now 28-15-4 on the season, which has them sitting on 60 points, 8 back of the Boston Bruins at the top of the division. They are coming off a surprising loss to the Minnesota Wild, but Tampa is still a very positive 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. On the road, the Lightning have been good, going 13-8-2. They are a game over .500 at 7-6-2 versus teams from the Western Conference.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.57
- Shots: 32.26
- PP/PK Percentage: 27.52
Defense
- Goals: 2.89
- Shots: 31.02
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.99
Why bet on the Winnipeg Jets?
As we said at the start, the Winnipeg Jets are not in particularly bad shape in the Western Conference, but they are sitting just below the playoff line, a point back of the team holding onto the #8 spot. The Jets, though, have been wallowing around the .500 mark over the past few weeks, going 4-4-2 in their last 10 games.
Winnipeg has actually been better on the road than they have been at home, winning 14 games on the road and going 11-10-2 in their own building. The Jets won the previous meeting versus the Lightning, a 4-3 win in Tampa Bay back in November. In the last 10 meetings, the Lightning are 5-4-1 versus the Jets, so meetings between these two tend to be tight.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.09
- Shots: 30.72
- PP/PK Percentage: 21.17
Defense
- Goals: 2.98
- Shots: 33.23
- PP/PK Percentage: 25.83
Lightning vs Jets 2020 NHL Week 15 Betting Trends
- Lightning are 4-2 SU in their last 6 games against an opponent in the West conference
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games on the road
- Jets are 1-6 SU in their last 7 games at home
- The total has gone OVER in 7 of Winnipeg’s last 8 games against an opponent in the East conference
Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction for Lightning vs Jets
This is the second game in as many nights for the Lightning, which makes me a little nervous. I do think this one will be close, though, so I am taking the Jets to cover the spread on Friday night.Score: Tampa Bay Lightning 3 – Winnipeg Jets 2
