The Detroit Red Wings (2-7-2) and Tampa Bay Lightning (6-1-1) play for the second time in three days at Amalie Arena Friday. Puck drop is scheduled for shortly after 7 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze the Red Wings-Lightning NHL odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
Red Wings at Lightning: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:45 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Red Wings +280 (bet $100 to win $280) | Lightning -360 (bet $360 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Red Wings +1.5 (+100) | Lightning -1.5 (-120)
- Over/Under: 5.5 (O: -125 | U: +105)
Red Wings at Lightning: Projected starting goalies
Thomas Greiss (0-6-2, .885 SV%, 3.46 GAA) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (6-1-1, .927 SV%, 1.99 GAA)
Greiss was yanked after allowing 3 goals on just 6 shots in 5:36 of action against the Lightning Wednesday. His replacement, Calvin Pickard, wasn’t a whole lot more impressive with 2 goals allowed on 21 shots in relief against a then-mostly disinterested Bolts side. Greiss has allowed 3 goals in each of his last four appearances and in six of eight games overall.
Vasilevskiy has played all eight games for the Lightning, but he has had some rest due to a postponed game last month. He stopped 15 of the 16 shots he faced Wednesday in a partial night off.
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Red Wings at Lightning: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Lightning 5, Red Wings 1
Money line (ML)
The oddsmakers aren’t expecting anything different from what we saw Wednesday and neither should bettors. The defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning outshot the Red Wings 27-16 and did all their scoring in the first 32 minutes of the game before coasting to victory.
Still, we need to PASS on a money line bet as the -360 odds for the Lightning are far too steep for a regular-season NHL game.
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Against the spread (ATS)
Tampa Bay finished Wednesday’s game with 56% of all shot attempts, including blocked and missed shots, and 54.76% of the scoring chances at 5-on-5.
Both teams went 0-for-4 on the power play Wednesday. We can expect a better performance from the Lightning’s special teams, as they are 15th in the NHL with a success rate of 20.69% with the man advantage.
Back the LIGHTNING -1.5 (-120) even though it’s extremely rare to be paying into the vig for a 2-goal win on the puck line.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the OVER 5.5 (-125). This line isn’t anticipating the Red Wings providing much to the combined goal total and the Lightning will again be doing the bulk of the scoring.
That’s just fine in what can be expected to be a rematch between the goalies. Greiss should have a stronger performance, but the overall result won’t be much different.
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