Vegas Golden Knights at Tampa Bay Lightning odds, picks and predictions
The Vegas Golden Knights (21-7-5) take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (15-13-5) Thursday at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Golden Knightsvs. Lightningodds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Golden Knights continue their 4-game road trip after dropping the 1st stop Tuesday to the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3. G Logan Thompson was off his game, and to make matters worse, he left with an upper-body injury. If C Jack Eichel remains healthy, he figures to have a career year with 15 goals and 22 assists already.
The Lightning close out their 2-game homestand after a 6-1 destruction of the St. Louis Blues Tuesday night. G Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 28 of 29 shots with the only goal coming via the power play. NHL points leader RW Nikita Kucherov had 2 goals and has 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists) on the season.
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Golden Knights at Lightning odds
BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:02 a.m. ET.
Golden Knights at Lightning projected goalies
Jiri Patera (1-0-0, 2.99 GAA, .917 SV%) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (6-5-0, 2.83 GAA, .904 SV%, 1 SO)
Patera entered Tuesday's game and stopped all 10 shots he faced against Carolina. He's up in place of G Adin Hill, who has been injured 3 times in 3 weeks and is out for this one. Patera stopped 34 of 38 shots he faced in his only start this season against the San Jose Sharks Dec. 10.
"Vasy" hasn't looked the same this year as he works out the kinks following back surgery. He wasn't tested too much in high-danger areas Tuesday against the Blues, but he appeared to have righted the ship. Before that game, he allowed 3 goals or more in 4 straight starts. He faced VGK twice last season and lost both of them, allowing 4 goals in each.
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Golden Knights at Lightning picks and predictions
Prediction
Lightning 4, Golden Knights 3
VGK has beaten Tampa 3 straight times, and 2 of them came at Amalie Arena. Two of them required overtime, and 1 of them went to a shootout. So these teams are pretty evenly matched, but Vegas is coming to town with a shaky situation between the pipes. The Bolts are riding high after putting 6 on St. Louis and 7 on Edmonton in 2 of their last 3 games.
The LIGHTNING -110 clearly have the advantage in this one.
Steer clear here because the last 4 meetings have been decided by 1 goal.
There is a prop bet that stands out, though. C Steven Stamkos' last 4 games have resulted in 3, 4, 7 and 5 shots on goal.
Take STEVEN STAMKOS OVER 2.5 SHOTS (-165).
This is where things get dicey. This number is 4-1-1 in the last 6 meetings between the clubs. It has cashed in the last 7 for Vegas, and it's 4-1-1 in the last 6 for Tampa. However, I don't think the Over is a sure thing, and the total being 6 instead of 6.5 is also telling. The way the Lightning have lit the lamp, and Vegas turning to a backup goalie, is what puts it over the top for me. I just fear Vasilevskiy shuts the door and says "Over? Over my dead body."
Go easy here, but LEAN OVER 6 (-105).
