Amalie Arena is the site for a divisional matchup as the Tampa Bay Lightning take on the visiting Ottawa Senators. Fox Sports Sun will broadcast the game, and the action gets going at 7:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, December 21.
Ottawa Senators at Tampa Bay Lightning Odds
Ottawa (+190) is entering this one as the underdog to Tampa Bay (-230), and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at 6 goals (-120 for the over, +100 for the under). After they originally opened at -110 for either, those lines have shifted.
The Lightning are 24-9 straight up (SU) and have earned moneyline bettors 11.8 units this season. That winning percentage, ranked first in the NHL so far this season, is a solid improvement compared to how the team performed during the 2016-17 season (42-40). Of its 33 games this season, 20 have gone over the total, while 13 have gone under and none have pushed. This season, the team is 13-3 SU at home.
Tampa Bay currently has the best power-play unit in the NHL, as the team has converted on 28.3 percent of their extra-man advantages this season. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked 26th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 78.5 percent of all penalties.
Tampa Bay, as a collective unit, has been penalized 4.0 times per game overall this season, and 2.4 per game over its last five outings at home. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays for just 8.2 minutes per game over its last 10 outings, overall.
Averaging 30.2 saves per game with a .933 save percentage, Andrei Vasilevskiy (21-6-1) has been the top goalkeeper for the Lightning this season. If they, however, decide to rest him, head coach Jon Cooper might turn to Peter Budaj (3-3-3 record, .878 save percentage, 3.67 goals against average).
The Bolts will continue to lean on the leadership from Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos. Kucherov (48 points) has tallied 23 goals and 25 assists and has recorded two or more points in 16 different games this year. Stamkos has 13 goals and 32 assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in 23 contests.
Over on the other bench, Ottawa is 11-21 straight up (SU) and has lost 13.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 32 regular season contests, 16 of its games have gone over the total, while an additional 16 have gone under and none have pushed. Ottawa’s 5-10 SU as the away team this season.
Ottawa has converted on just 16.1 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that places it in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 29th overall and it’s successfully killed off 76.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
Ottawa’s players have been penalized only 3.5 times per game in total this season, and 4.2 per game over their last five road outings. The team has had to defend opponent power plays just 8.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Craig Anderson (25.1 saves per game) has been the main choice in the net for Ottawa. Anderson has 10 wins, 15 losses, and three OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .898 save percentage and 3.05 goals against average this year.
Mark Stone (14 goals, 16 assists) will pace the offensive attack for the visiting Senators.
Ottawa Senators vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Lightning, O/U – Under
Notes
Betting Trends
The total has gone over in three of Tampa Bay’s last five outings.
Ottawa has managed 28.2 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Tampa Bay is averaging 35.0 shots per game over its last five home outings.
Penalties and power plays could prove to be critical in tonight’s game. The Senators are 6-14 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 8-14 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 total minutes. The Lightning are 15-4 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 13-4 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
Ottawa (1-4 in shootouts) has more experience this season in games decided by shootout. Tampa Bay has only participated in two shootouts this year, winning one and losing the other.
Tampa Bay is ranked 17th overall with 7.5 takeaways per game. That figure has trended down lately, however, as it has created 6.9 takeaways over its last 10 games and 6.0 takeaways over its last five.
Ottawa is ranked 19th in the league this season with 6.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as the team has averaged 4.7 takeaways over its last 10 games and 5.8 takeaways over its last five.
Tampa Bay might hold an advantage if it’s a close one late. The team’s 10-5 in games decided by one goal, while Ottawa is 6-11 in such games.
