Lightning vs Devils Prediction, Preview, Odds and Picks Mar 16

The Tampa Bay Lightning face the New Jersey Devils for a second game in a row after winning the first of their back-to-back away games at the Prudential Center on Tuesday night. Despite Tampa Bay’s winning outing on Tuesday night, the NHL betting markets are cornered with the hosts.

Will the Lightning make it two in a row at the expense of the Devils? Or will the Devils bounce back into the win column and level the series 1-1. We weigh in below, alongside the latest NHL oddssportsbook.

Lightning Seek Consistency

Tampa Bay is 40-22-6 on the season with 86 points from 68 games, putting the Lightning in third place in the Atlantic Division. Two points separate them from the second-place TorontoMapleLeafs but they are 19 points adrift of the pace-setting Boston Bruins, who have the Atlantic Division title practically in the bag – if not the President’s Trophy as well.

Form has been up and down for the Lightning, oscillating between a win and a loss over the last six games. Most recently, they beat the Devils 4-1 on the road to improve to a 3-5-2 record in their last 10 games.

The Devils got on the board first behind Damon Severson’s goal at 5:55 of the first period. But Anthony Cirelli leveled the score with a shorthanded goal at 16:17. The floodgates opened in the second period with the Lightning scoring three unanswered goals courtesy of Brandon Hagel, Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov.

Hagel received recognition as the game’s top star for his goal and assist on Killorn’s goal. Andrei Vasilevskiy saved 22 of 23 shots to improve to a 30-17-4 record and a .914 save percentage..

Devils Look for Atonement

New Jersey is 44-17-7 with 94 points from 67 games. The Devils are second in the Metropolitan Division, two points behind the division-leading Carolina Hurricanes.

Recent form sits on an encouraging 7-2-1 record in their last 10 games despite the recent 4-1 loss to the Lightning. Tuesday’s defeat marked New Jersey’s first defeat in four games and second home defeat in their last three homestays. They slipped to a 19-13-2 record at the Prudential Center.

Severson had Prudential hopping with his early goal. Ryan Graves’ apparent goal midway through the first period was taken off the board due to goalie interference after it was challenged by Tampa Bay. That seemed to give the visitors a spark and they never looked back after that.

Lightning vs Devils Live stream Game Injuries

This is the second meeting of the season between the Lightning and Devils. Tuesday’s 4-1 win over the Devils saw Tampa Bay improve to 9-1-0 in its last 10 games against New Jersey. At the same time, it saw the Devils fall to a 1-8-1 record during the very same span.

Since 2022, the Lightning have taken the measure of the Devils in three straight games. They swept the series in 2022, beating the Devils 3-2 at Amalie Arena on Jan. 27, 2022. Then, they defeated the Devils 6-3 at the Prudential Center on Feb. 15, 2022.

Tampa Bay will be keen to defy the sports betting markets with a second straight sweep of the Devils.

Lightning vs Devils Game Information

• Game: Lightning (40-22-6) vs Devils (44-17-7)
• Location: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
• Day/Time: Thursday, March 16, 7:07 p.m. ET
• Lightning vs Devils Live stream:NHL.TV

Lightning vs Devils Betting Lines

Lightning vs Devils Picks and Prediction

The Lightning opened a two-game set in New Jersey with a much-needed victory. As they attempt to go 2-0 versus the Devils on the season and sweep this series for a second year in a row, the betting online odds are conspicuously stacked against them.

Between Tampa Bay’s recent triumph and the overall advantage in the head-to-head series, the NHL betting odds on the Lightning are great value. Conversely, home advantage and stellar form for the Devils in recent weeks underscores their value to atone for Tuesday’s setback. It’s a toss-up for NHL picks, to put it mildly. But push comes to shove, the Devils at home should get it done this time.

New Jersey is listed at -135 in our Vegas lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Devils, there’s a chance to win $74 .Tampa Bay is 115, with a chance to win $115 on a $100 wager.

The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives New Jersey a 57.45% chance to win, with the Lightning at 46.51%