The NHL season feels like it is long, but when you get into the final weeks of the regular season, it can suddenly feel as though time is slipping away. This is especially true for teams sitting below the playoff line, but there is also an extra level of pressure for every team in the league, no matter where they currently are in the standings. At this stage of the season, there really is no such thing as a meaningless game, as a poor run of form now can mean that winning a division or simply making it into the postseason becomes something of an impossible task. Landing home ice advantage heading into the postseason is huge, so the higher a team gets seeded, the more games they will have in their own building. That is something that is sure to be on the minds of the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins . Both teams are in the hunt to win their respective divisions, while also having a shot at the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning and Penguins are both playing great hockey, but it is Pittsburgh who are favored as the NHL betting lines have them at 1 ½ at home, with the goal total set at 6.
Lightning vs Penguins 2020 NHL Betting Lines & Game Preview
- When: Tuesday, January 11 at 7 PM EST
- Where: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh
- TV: RSNE
- Stream: NHL.com/tv
- Radio: Lightning | Penguins
- Opening NHL Lines: Penguins -1½ (Total 6)
Why Bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning?
Every team enters the season with a certain level of expectation placed on their shoulders, but you can certainly argue that coming in as the favorite is a good deal more stressful than being an underdog. The Lightning failed to meet their expectation in the early part of the season, but that all seems like a distant memory, as they are now sitting at 36-15-5 on the year. That leaves Tampa on 77 points, 3 points behind the Bruins, who are currently on top of the Atlantic Division. This is a tough one for the Lightning, but at 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, they are a decent bet to improve upon their 18-8-3 road record. They already have a pair of wins over the Penguins this season can sweep the regular season series with a win on Tuesday night.
Tampa Bay Lightning 2020 NHL Betting Trends and Stats
Betting Trends
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 5 games.
- Tampa Bay are 7-0 SU in their last 7 games.
- Tampa Bay are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games against Pittsburgh.
- Tampa Bay are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road.
- Tampa Bay are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games when playing on the road against Pittsburgh.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games this season.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games against an opponent in the East conference.
Team Stats
Offense
- Goals: 3.59
- Shots: 31.34
- PP/PK Percentage: 23.84
Defense
- Goals: 3.04
- Shots: 29.75
- PP/PK Percentage: 15.98
Why Bet on the Pittsburgh Penguins?
While the Pittsburgh Penguins do still have a shot at finishing atop the Eastern Conference standings, they also have some work to do to get there. As it stands now, they are 7 points behind the Boston Bruins, but you can also bet that their main focus right now is winning the Metropolitan Division, where they are currently 4 points back of the Capitals. The Penguins have been in good form of late, winning 7 of their last 10 games to take their season record to 34-15-5. While they have been consistently good all season, they have been particularly strong on home ice, going 19-5-3 in their own building. Pittsburgh needs this one to avoid the regular season sweep to Tampa.
Pittsburgh Penguins 2020 NHL Betting Trends and Stats
Betting Trends
- Pittsburgh are 9-3 SU in their last 12 games.
- The total has gone OVER in 12 of Pittsburgh’s last 16 games against Tampa Bay.
- Pittsburgh are 12-3 SU in their last 15 games at home.
- Pittsburgh are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games when playing at home against Tampa Bay.
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Pittsburgh’s last 10 games against an opponent in the East conference.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh’s last 7 games against an opponent in the Atlantic division.
Team Stats
Offense
- Goals: 3.35
- Shots: 31.96
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.75
Defense
- Goals: 2.74
- Shots: 29.94
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.01
Lightning vs Penguins Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
When you think of these two teams, you tend to think offense first, but both meetings this season failed to go over the point total. I think that means that we get a close one here, with the Lightning covering the spread.
Pick:
Tampa Bay Lightning 3 – Pittsburgh Penguins 2 | Bet Now
