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The Florida Panthers (21-11-2) meet the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-10-2) Sunday at Amalie Arena in the front end of a home-and-home series. Puck drop is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Panthers vs. Lightning odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; Panthers won regular-season series 2-1 last season and won first-round playoff series 4-1
The Panthers won 2-1 in overtime against the St. Louis Blues on Friday, their third straight victory. The Over has cashed in 2 of the previous 3 outings, but the Under is still 5-2 across the past 7 games. Florida goaltending has allowed 3 or fewer goals in 5 of those games, too.
The Lightning also topped the Blues in their most recent game, winning 3-1 at Amalie on Thursday night as a heavy favorite (-210) as the Under (6) cashed. Tampa has won 4 in a row, outscoring the opposition 21-8, while the Over is 2-1-1 in the span.
The Lightning have won 6 of 7 games in December, including a 6-0 mark as a favorite. And the Lightning are 7-0 on the puck line in the past 7 outings, too, including wins by 2 or more goals in the past 6 games as a favorite.
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Panthers at Lightning odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list of NHL odds. Lines last updated at 6:37 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Panthers -115 (bet $115 to win $100) | Lightning -105 (bet $105 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Panthers -1.5 (+200) | Lightning +1.5 (-250)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
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Panthers at Lightning projected goalies
Sergei Bobrovsky (16-6-1, 2.79 GAA, .896% SV, 1 SO) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (15-9-1, 2.38 GAA, .913 SV%, 2 SO)
Bobrovsky allowed a single goal on 27 shots in the 2-1 OTW against the Blues Friday. He has won 3 straight starts, and 7 of the past 8 outings. He is 5-1-0 with a 2.11 GAA and .913 SV% in 6 starts in December. Bob was 2-1-0 with a 2.71 GAA, .892 SV% in 3 regular-season starts in 2023-24 against the Lightning.
Vasilevskiy has won 3 straight starts, allowing just 3 or fewer goals in each of his 6 December outings. He is 5-1-0 with a 2.22 GAA and .930 SV% in those 6 starts. Vasilevskiy was 1-2-0 with a 4.51 GAA and .883 SV% in 3 regular-season starts against the Panthers last season.
Panthers at Lightning picks and predictions
Prediction
Lightning 3, Panthers 2
Moneyline
The LIGHTNING (-105) are worth a look as short ‘dogs at home in this Sunshine State battle against the Panthers (-115).
Tampa Bay has won 4 in a row, while cashing in 3 straight outings at Amalie Arena. The Lightning have outscored the opposition 16-5 in the 3-game win streak at home.
The Panthers enter with 3 straight wins, too, but we’ll side with the home team in a battle between rivals with red-hot goaltenders.
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Puck line/Against the spread
The Lightning +1.5 (-250) will cost you 2 1/2 times your potential return, if you require a little bit of insurance. It’s not a recommended play. If you like Tampa Bay, just play it straight up.
AVOID.
Over/Under
UNDER 6.5 (-120) is a strong play in this front end of a back-to-back set.
Again, Bobrovsky has managed a 2.11 GAA in December, while Vasilevskiy has posted a 2.22 GAA in the month.
The Under is on a 5-2 run for the Panthers, while the Lightning have a slight 3-2-1 edge to the Under in the previous 6 outings.
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