Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals Betting Picks & Predictions
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals are both coming off rocky seasons, but have found recent success with back-to-back wins for the Lightning and three-in-a-row
Game outlook
The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals are both coming off rocky seasons, but have found recent success with back-to-back wins for the Lightning and three-in-a-row for the Capitals. Both teams hope to improve on their respective records and standings in the Eastern Conference and the upcoming match should be an exciting one. Tampa Bay is the favored team for the game, opening at -136 in the betting lines.
Betting Odds
Moneyline: Lightning -136 | Capitals +121
Spread: Lightning -1.5 (+179) | Capitals +1.5 (-215)
Total: Over/Under 6.25 (-110)
Based on the moneyline, the implied probability that Tampa Bay will win straight-up is 58%.
Tampa Bay Lightning
This season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have shown promise with their high-scoring offense, leading the way with 3.41 goals per game and 54 collective goals from Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, and Brayden Point. Although Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul, and Anthony Cirelli, along with defenseman Victor Hedman, have totaled 29 goals and 34 assists, their defense has been weak, allowing 3.50 goals per game. Despite vulnerable points in defense and a .901 save percentage from goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning are currently ranked 12th in offense, 28th in defense, and possess a record of 7-3.
Washington Capitals Analysis
Despite the offense struggling, the defense has been strong, posting 124 blocked shots and 4.0 defensive point shares between John Carpenter and Rasmus Sandin. Martin Fehérváry, Nick Jensen, and Trevor Van Riemsdyk have contributed 3.9 defensive point shares. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper has a save percentage of .900 and a goals-against-average of 2.90 on 449 shots with a -1.6 goals saved above average. The Washington Capitals are having a challenging season, as evidenced by their power ranking of 31 and their #30 spot in offense, scoring an average of 2.52 goals per game. Alexander Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, and Dylan Strome have recorded 29 combined goals and assists, however the rest of the offense is lagging. To make up for this, the defense has been strong, giving up just 2.83 points per game and blocking 124 shots throughout the season. Additionally, Martin Fehérváry, Nick Jensen, and Trevor Van Riemsdyk have contributed 3.9 defensive point shares and Darcy Kuemper has had a .900 save percentage and a 2.90 goals-against-average.