Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction, Preview, and Odds
The Ottawa Senators are traveling to Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ottawa is 22-27-2 this season and sits 15th in the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay is sixth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 30-21-5. This season both teams have won one game against the other, with both games being played in Ottawa. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.
Ottawa's Bottom Defense
The Ottawa Senators are traveling to Tampa after their loss on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks with a final score of 2-3. This would only be their second loss in their last five games and their first loss on the road in four games. Ottawa seems to be generating more offense and I think it has to do with their shot production. The Senators are seventh in the league in shots on goal, averaging 32.8 shots per game. This has led to the Senators averaging 3.35 goals per game, ranking them ninth overall. However, their offense has not been able to make up for their defense which has allowed the third most goals per game in the NHL at 3.61 goals against per game. I do not think this is aided by their penalty kill which also ranks third to last in the league at 74.2%.
Anton Forsberg has taken a majority of the starts in net for the Senators as of late. Forsberg is 8-8-0 this season with a goals against average of 3.32 and a save percentage of .892. Lately we have seen Forsberg put up great numbers in his last five games with him averaging a save percentage of .921. This however has been offset by the amount of shots he has faced due to his team's lack of defending and as a result has him with a goals against average of 3.42. In his last three games in which he fully started and finished the game, Forsberg faced a total of 132 shots on net.
Tampa Bay Aiming for Bounce Back
The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a huge loss on Saturday against their rivals the Florida Panthers with a final score of 2-9. This loss would break their three game win streak they had prior to Saturday. Tampa Bay is still ranked seventh overall in scoring averaging 3.41 goals per game. This is mostly due to their powerplay which is ranked number one in the NHL at 30.2%. Goaltending has not been consistent for the Lightning and has a result has them averaging 3.38 goals against per game.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been the main goaltender in net for Tampa Bay as he has been since he was drafted. His record this season is 19-12-0 with a goals against average of 2.90 and a save percentage of .899. That .899 save percentage is uncharacteristic for the veteran netminder, especially after we say him allow six goals on 22 shots on net.
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Full-Game Side Bet
Rating:
The Tampa Bay Lightning are coming off a massive loss and I expect a huge bounce-back game from them. Not only are they looking for a redemption game but the Lightning are going up against the third-worst penalty kill in the league. Tampa Bay with their number one powerplay, should have no problem not only winning this game but also covering their puck line. The Tampa Bay Lightning are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games played at home and I expect them to continue that trend in this one.
I am taking the Lightning on the puck line at -1.5.
Prediction: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 ( +146 )
Full-Game Total Pick
Rating:
I am expecting this line to move toward seven as we get closer to the match. Tampa Bay leads the league in scoring at home in their last five games, averaging 5.4 goals per game. However, the Lightning are also allowing an average of 4.2 goals against per game in their last five at home. While I do believe we will see a much stronger performance out of Andrei Vasilevskiy, he should still allow at least two goals for us to hit our over.
I am taking the over at 6.5.
Prediction: Over 6.5 ( -154 )
Growing up in Pittsburgh, Anthony has always been surrounded by sports. Whether its watching the Penguins win the cup or the Steelers winning another ring, he saw what it took to win it all. He enjoys breaking down stats and applying them to spreadsheets to better his picks. With the combination of watching trends and his spreadsheets, Anthony has been very successful as a sports bettor. His last name is the German word for people and it is clear that he is the people's choice when it comes to handicapping.
