Panthers vs Lightning Prediction, NHL Odds & Picks (Feb. 28)

The Tampa Bay Lightning look to win their season series with the Florida Panthers when they host their Atlantic Division rivals on Tuesday, Feb. 28. Despite Tampa Bay leading the series 2-1, it was Florida that tallied a massive 7-1 victory in their last meeting. Needless to say, there’s no telling how the final Panthers vs Lightning tilt of the campaign will unfold.

Coach Maurice says that both Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett will not play tomorrow night against Tampa.

He says that both injuries are short-term and he expects them back by this weekend.

— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 27, 2023

The Panthers enter tonight’s action following a 3-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres last Friday. Even though the Panthers generated 49 shots on the evening, they couldn’t solve Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson. The loss also marked Florida’s fourth in its last seven outings.

Meanwhile, the Lightning have recently struggled with consistency as well, going 2-2-2 in their last six games. Their most recent loss saw them blown out 7-3 by the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday, meaning the only the direction that the Bolts can go from here is up.

Tonight’s Panthers vs Lightning is bound to be an exciting affair with several betting opportunities worth considering. Here’s a look at FanDuel Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Florida Panthers (29-26-6, 13-17-3 Away) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (37-18-4, 22-4-3 Home)
• Venue & Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida)
• Date: Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Panthers vs Lightning TV Info: ESPN+

Panthers vs Lightning Odds

Game odds are via FanDuel as of Tuesday, Feb. 28 at 8:11 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Florida Panthers +1.5 (-160)
• Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+130)

Over/Under

• Over 7 Goals (+106)
• Under 7 Goals (-130)

Moneyline

• Florida Panthers +146
• Tampa Bay Lightning -176

Panthers vs Lightning Betting Trends

• Florida is 1-7 straight up in its last eight games against Tampa Bay.
• Tampa Bay is 14-2 straight up in its last 16 home games.
• The total has hit the over in seven of Florida’s last eight road games.
• The total has hit the over in four of Tampa Bay’s last five games.
• The total has hit the over in each of the last six Florida-Tampa Bay matchups at Amalie Arena.

Can Panthers Stop Road Struggles?

The Panthers have seen their fair share of ups and downs this season, however, one area where they consistently struggle is on the road in general.

The Panthers have gone 6-8-2 in their last 16 road games, allowing an average of 4.31 goals per game over that stretch. In fact, they allowed at least five goals seven times over that stretch, which is nearly half of those contests.

Needless to say, Sergei Bobrovsky needs to play a lot better tonight if the Panthers are to end their road woes. The veteran goaltender hasn’t been all that reliable away from home, going 2-1-1 in his last five appearances (four starts) with a 3.61 goals-against average and .880 save percentage.

On top of that, Bobrovsky has allowed three-plus goals in each of his last four starts overall, making it clear that the Panthers’ offense must show up to support him.

Unfortunately, offense is going to be tougher to come by as both Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett will both be out of tonight's game. Their presence will certainly be missed as Barkov ranks third in team points with 50 while Bennet’s 14 goals rank fifth-best.

It’s just hard imagining the Panthers keeping pace with the Lightning offensively — especially when the former has allowed 16 goals in its last three road games. With the numbers that Tampa Bay can generate, it could be a long night for Florida.

Lightning Own Panthers’ Number

The Panthers may have won the last Battle of Florida, but it’s been the Lightning that often get the best of their Atlantic Division rival.

After all, the Lightning have won seven of the last eight meetings between the two clubs. That includes seven straight victories before the Panthers picked up that 7-3 victory in their last collision.

What’s impressive is that the Lightning’s success came all over the ice. On one hand, they outscored the Panthers 29-17 over that span. Tampa Bay averaged a solid 3.62 goals in those games while holding Florida to two or fewer goals in all but two contests.

With Andrei Vasilevskiy likely being the Lightning’s starting goalie (per Daily Faceoff), it could be another offense-deprived night for the Panthers. Vasilevskiy is 8-1-0 in his last nine starts against Florida, playing to a 2.10 GAA and .943 SV% with a shutout.

The Lightning love to beat up the Panthers on the man advantage, going 9-of-35 (25.7%) on the power play in those last eight games. Florida’s power play hasn’t had nearly that much success against Tampa Bay, going just 3-of-30 (10.0%).

The Lightning are in a good position to continue their dominance with his game being played at Amalie Arena. Not only has Tampa Bay won 14 of its last 16 home games, but it also has won four straight home outings against Florida.

Panthers vs Lightning Prediction and Picks

Panthers vs Lightning Prediction: Lightning 4, Panthers 2

Panthers vs Lightning Picks: Lightning ML (Best Value: -176 at FanDuel) & Under 7 Goals (Best Value: -130 at FanDuel)

Considering how the Panthers have lost their last four trips to Amalie Arena, I’m going with the Lightning winning this one. They’re the clear-cut better and healthier team, after all. Tampa Bay is also incredibly difficult to beat at home and shouldn’t break a sweat again a Florida squad that struggles at both ends of the ice on the road.

Having said that, I also recommend backing the under on the 7-goal total. Six of the last seven Panthers vs Lightning matchups have seen fewer than seven goals scored, making their last encounter an anomaly. With Vasilevskiy playing lights out and Florida struggling to generate offense, fewer goals than expected seems like the likeliest scenario.