Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Washington Capitals Prediction, Preview, and Odds
The Tampa Bay Lightning are traveling to Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. to face the Washington Capitals. Tampa Bay has a record of 16-13-5 and sits ninth in the Eastern Conference. Washington is fifth in the Eastern Conference and has a record of 17-9-4. The Lightning won two of their three games last season against the Capitals both wins were at home for Tampa Bay. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. EST.
Tampa Bay Continues to Score
The Tampa Bay Lightning are traveling to Washington after their win at home on Thursday to the Vegas Golden Knights with a final score of 5-4. This is the third win in the last five games for the Lightning. Tampa Bay has been dominating on offense this season as they are ranking ninth overall in goals per game at 3.41. Their success on offense carries over onto their powerplay which has a percentage of 30.9%, placing them third overall. On defense the Lightning could be playing better with a goals against average of 3.50, 27th in the NHL.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has returned back to his normal self in net for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy has a record this season of 7-5-0 with a goals against average of 2.93 and a save percentage of .901. While these stats are lower than the normal Vasilevskiy we are use to seeing, he is still playing at a level to get his team wins.
Washington's Top Defense
The Washington Capitals are returning home after their win on Thursday to the Columbus Blue Jackets with a final score of 3-2. This would be the third win in a row for the Capitals. Which is impressive when you find out that their last four games were two sets of back to back games. Washington has the tenth best defense in the league with a goals against average of 2.73. They continue to practice this strong defense on their penalty kill where the Capitals are ranked ninth overall with a penalty kill percentage of 82.3%. On offense however, the Capitals rank third to last in goals per game at 2.43.
Charlie Lindgren has been the better goaltender in net this season for the Capitals. Lindgren has a record of 7-3-2 with a goals against average of 2.40 and a save percentage of .927. This is a tiny contrast to Darcy Kuemper who has a slightly worst save percentage of .900 and a goals against average of 2.90.
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Full-Game Side Bet
Rating:
The Tampa Bay Lightning may not have the advantage on defense that Washington does but their offensive prowess can't be denied. Both these teams have been playing against opponents that have weaknesses that can be exploited with their strengths. Tampa Bay has played some teams struggling on defense recently with Edmonton, St. Louis, and Calgary. The Capitals have played teams with average offenses such as the New York Islanders, Philadelphia, and Columbus. Tampa Bay while not being able to capitalize on a weaker defense in this game should still find success on offense against Washington.
I am siding with the better offense with Tampa Bay on the Money line.
Prediction: Tampa Bay Lighting ML ( -137 )
Full-Game Total Pick
Rating:
To me this line is very generous considering the two teams playing. The Capitals have been favoring the under in their games recently while Tampa Bay has been favoring the overs in their games. Again this is because both teams were playing opponents that fit with their playstyle. In this game, both teams' playstyles collide against each other and honestly, I think this leads to a low-scoring stalemate.
I am taking the under at 6.5.
Prediction: Under 6.5 ( -122 )
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.
