Betting on the Philadelphia vs Tampa Bay NHL Odds

There is something to be said about playing your best hockey as the regular season begins to wind down. That said, it’s always better if you hit that rich vein of form while still in the playoff picture, as it’s amazing how late season momentum can carry over into the postseason. Two teams who are playing some very good hockey at the moment are the Philadelphia Flyers and the Tampa Bay Lightning, and these two will hook up in Florida on Friday night. The Lightning are basically a shoe-in for the playoffs, but the Flyers still have a little bit of work to do in order to punch their postseason ticket. There are some pretty big divisional and playoff implications at stake in this game, which is why it’s one that is definitely worth tuning into. It’s also a great game to wager on, so be sure to get your tickets on before the NHL online betting spread drops on this one.

Betting on the Philadelphia Flyers vs Tampa Bay Lightning NHL Odds

When: Friday, March 11 at 7:30 PM EST Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa TV: CSN and SUN Radio: WPEN and WFLA Live Stream: NHL Stream NHL Odds: TBA    

Why bet on the Philadelphia Flyers

I don’t think Flyers (31-23-11) will give me very much flak for saying that it’s a bit of a surprise to see this team in the position that they are in right now. Starting the season with a new coach and GM usually means that you are going to have a team in transition. There was certainly a lot to like about Philly heading into this season, but the general consensus was that it might be another year before they were really ready to contend. Their time appears to be now, though, as the Flyers are bearing down on the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. They are getting hot at just the right time, and their 7-2-1 record in the last 10 games suggests they are ready to make a serious playoff run coming down the stretch. The Flyers are averaging 2.5 GPG, and are giving up 2.6 GPG.

Why bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning (39-23-5) has a 9-game winning streak broken up in a 4-2 loss to the Flyers a few nights ago, and they then followed that up with a 1-0 OT loss to the Bruins. Despite those setbacks, Tampa is still 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, and are still tied for top spot in the Atlantic Division with the Bruins. This was a team that entered the season with pretty high expectations, but also some doubts, with the Steven Stamkos contract talks breaking off casting a long shadow over the team. They appear to have been able to focus on what’s happening on the ice, though, and are certainly one of the top picks to represent the East once again in the Stanley Cup Final. The Lightning are averaging 2.7 GPG, and are giving up 2.3 GPG.

Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction

One of the toughest things to do in hockey is beat the same team twice in back to back games. The Flyers took the first leg of the double header on home ice, but I think they will come up well short in Tampa.

Philadelphia Flyers 2 Tampa Bay Lightning 5