One of the mistakes that we all tend to make as fans and bettors is automatically writing teams off when they go through a bad patch or see their season get off to a slow start. Every team comes into the season with a certain level of expectation placed on their shoulders, and when they fail to meet the bar that has been set, we all start talking about how they are a bust. How many of you who follow hockey thought that the St. Louis Blues had any shot at winning it all last year when they were sitting on the bottom of the Western Conference.
Teams can quickly become an afterthought, but as we have seen time and again across all sports, the cream usually has a way of rising to the top. That is where the Tampa Bay Lightning are right now, as one of the preseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup are finally starting to put things together. The Lightning will hit the road on Thursday night to face a struggling Minnesota Wild team. No real surprise that the Lightning are favored by 1 ½. The goal total for this one has been set at 6 ½.
Lightning vs Wild 2020 NHL Betting Spread & Preview
- When: Thursday, January 16 at 8 PM EST
- Where: Xcel Energy Center, Minnesota
- TV: NBCSN
- NHL Betting Spread: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (Total 6.5)
Why bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning?
As mentioned earlier, the Tampa Bay Lightning came into this season as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, but they looked a good way removed from the team we expected in the early going. They spent a lot of time wallowing below the playoff line, and while some of us waited for them to come to life, others had them written off. The patient among us are now being vindicated, as the Lightning are on fire right now.They have gone a stellar 9-1-0 in their last 10 games, taking their season record to 28-14-4, which has them in second in the Atlantic Division, now just 6 points back of the Boston Bruins. Tampa has a solid road record this season, going 13-7-2, although they are just 8-14 away from home.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.61
- Shots: 32.52
- PP/PK Percentage: 27.21
Defense
- Goals: 2.89
- Shots: 31.20
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.78
Why bet on the Minnesota Wild?
While we should always be wary about writing a team off too soon, the Minnesota Wild aren’t really doing anything to suggest that they might be able to get back into the playoff picture in the Western Conference. With a 20-20-6 record and 46 points, the Wild are sitting dead last in the Central Division, 8 points adrift of the final Wild Card spot.
That gap has been growing of late, with the Wild coming into this game having now lost 4 in a row, while also going just 3-6-1 in their last 10 games. It is not the type of form that you would hope to see from a team fighting to get into the playoff race. The Wild, though, have been a tough out at home, going 11-5-4 on the season on home ice.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 3.00
- Shots: 29.39
- PP/PK Percentage: 17.93
Defense
- Goals: 3.41
- Shots: 31.48
- PP/PK Percentage: 24.29
Lightning vs Wild 2020 NHL Betting Trends
- Lightning are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games on the road
- The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Tampa Bay’s last 13 games played in January
- Wild are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games this season
- The total has gone OVER in 11 of Minnesota’s last 16 games when playing as the underdog
Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction for Lightning vs Wild
When these two met back in early December, it was the Wild who came away with the 5-4 win in Tampa. I think we are going to see the Lightning exact revenge in rather clinical fashion in this one, so let’s take the Lightning to win and cover.Score: Tampa Bay Lightning 5 – Minnesota Wild 2
