The Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes play Game 2 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round series Tuesday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at PNC Arena. Below, we analyze the Lightning-Hurricanes odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
The Lightning struck for a 2-1 victory in the series opener Sunday afternoon. Andrei Vasilevskiy was the difference turning aside 37 of the 38 shots he faced, as he was just a little more crisp than rookie Alex Nedeljkovic in the crease for Carolina.
The Hurricanes were tied 1-1 early in the third period when Jake Bean struck on the power play for his first-career playoff goal. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Bean cannot be the team’s only scorer as the other weapons need to produce if the Hurricanes are to win.
Lightning at Hurricanes: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:40 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Lightning -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Hurricanes -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Lightning +1.5 (-275) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+225)
- Over/Under: 5.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Lightning at Hurricanes: Projected starting goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy (31-10-1, 2.21 GAA, .925 SV%, 5 SO) vs. Alex Nedeljkovic (15-5-3, 1.90 GAA, .932 SV%, 3 SO)
Vasilevskiy allowed just the Bean power-play goal as he really stood on his head and was tremendous in the series opener. He is 2-0 in playoff series openers this season, and he won Game 2 in Florida last round, too.
Nedeljkovic and the Hurricanes lost for the first time in four playoff home games, although they were certainly not outplayed. Unfortunately for the rookie, he is now 2-3 in one-goal games in the playoffs so far.
Special NHL Betting Promotion!
Bet $1 on either team’s money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either team scores a goal in the game. Betting offer available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA and WV. Place your legal, online bets at BetMGM. New customer offer, terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Lightning at Hurricanes: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Lightning 3, Hurricanes 2
Money line (ML)
The LIGHTNING (-110) have plenty of offense, but the goaltending situation and the experience are the biggest differences in this series. The Hurricanes (-110) are an uber-talented team that did big things in the regular season. This organization continues to trend up and will be a championship contender for years to come, but their time is not now.
Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Against the spread (ATS)
The Lightning +1.5 (-275) will cost you almost three times your potential return, and that’s just not a recommended play.
AVOID and focus on the money line instead.
Over/Under (O/U)
UNDER 5.5 (-110) is the play in Game 2. Vasilevskiy shut down the Hurricanes offense, and Ned did a good job keeping the big dogs for the Lightning at bay. Don’t be surprised if this one is a 2-2 game heading to overtime. If that occurs, enjoy the great hockey, whomever wins, and enjoy the winning ticket, too.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Joe Williams on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1369]