Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning will take the short road trip from Buffalo to Pittsburgh to take on the Penguins in this Eastern Conference matchup. The puck drop for this game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. eastern from the PPG Paints Arena.
Tampa Bay will come into tonight’s game with a three-game losing streak. The Lightning lost last night 1-5 to the Sabres. Pittsburgh has gotten points in all five of the games they have played to start the season. They have a record of 3-0-1-1.
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Betting Odds & Lines
BetUs has the Lightning as the moneyline favorite at -130. They have the Penguins at +110 to win the game this evening.
Over at BetOnline, they have the Lightning the favorite as well, but with better odds at -126. Both sportsbooks have the goals total at 5½.
Lightning Fight to get Back on Track
Losing three games in a row is never fun. The Lightning, who are the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, know the potential their roster has, so there is no real panic yet. With subtle improvements to their power-play as well as their goaltending, the Lightning will be right back in the mix.
Veteran Steven Stamkos is off to a great start. In six games, he has recorded four goals and five assists for a team-leading nine points. Victor Headman is right behind him with seven points, accruing all seven by assisting on other goals. The Lightning have 11 players on their roster with two or more points.
Consistency In Pittsburgh
The Penguins have a solid record to start the season, accruing points in all five of their games. The team has not won every game they have played and have lost once in overtime and once in a shootout. The Penguins are currently in third at 4.6 goals scored per game. They are also a top-five team in goals against at 2.6 per game.
The Penguins have three players with five total points to lead the team. Evan Rodrigues, Danton Heinen, and Drew O’Connor are all sitting on five points. All three of them have scored three goals and assisted on two others. While some teams are struggling to score goals across the league, the Penguins have six skaters who have already scored multiple goals.
Goaltender Matchup
The Lightning gave Andrei Vasilevskiy the night off last night, which puts him in a good spot to start the game tonight. In four starts, he is 2-2-1 and giving up 3.12 goals per game. Vasilevskiy is coming off an insane 2020 season where he gave up just 2.2 goals per game all season. As soon as he gets his confidence back, the Lightning will be great.
The Penguins will send Tristan Jarry to the net, more than likely. He has started the season 3-0-0-1 and is only giving up 1.47 goals per game. Jarry looks poised to carry the workload this season for the Penguins.
The Picks
The Lightning were demolished by the Penguins to start the season just a few short weeks ago. How much has either team improved since then? There is no clear answer, and the Penguins are coming off of a win, while the Lightning are on a three-game skid.
The Penguins are in the middle of an eight-game homestand. They are 2-0-0-1 on home ice this season. The Lightning have had their only success on the road, with a 2-1 record during away games.
This game comes down to goaltending. As of today, Jarry just has the hotter glove. Vasilevskiy will have a better chance at having a great season, but as far as picking a team tonight, taking the Penguins is the right bet.
When making your NHL picks, take the Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline.
