NHL Best Bets: Lightning vs. Canucks Game Picks

Two teams are set to collide for the second time in a week, with the Vancouver Canucks playing host to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

In last week’s meeting in Tampa Bay, the Lightning escaped with a 5-4 victory, and they’ll be looking to sweep the season series tonight in Vancouver. There really hasn’t been much to like about the Canucks this season, and they’ve continued to be a team that sits near the basement of the NHL standings. For a team that was expecting to compete for a playoff spot, there are a lot of holes on this team, and it’s clear they need to start selling off some pieces and clear some cap space ahead of the NHL’s trade deadline. 

On the other hand, the Lightning have continued to be one of the most consistent franchises in the NHL. Tampa Bay has won four straight games and owns an 8-2 record over their past ten games, while the Canucks are 3-7 over that same sample size. There are some offensive pieces to like about the Canucks, but there’s just no consistency on defense or in goal. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Lightning should continue riding Andrei Vasilevskiy, while the Canucks are expected to do the same with Spencer Martin. The Lightning star netminder has posted a 20-10-1 record, paired with a .918 save percentage, while Martin is sitting at 11-10-1, along with a .880 save percentage. The Lightning should have a sizable advantage in goal tonight. 

Even though the final box score looked much closer than it actually was during their first meeting, the score didn’t really represent how much the Lightning controlled the game. Knowing that it’s hard to look away from Tampa Bay once again tonight. There’s value prevalent in looking for the Lightning to win by multiple goals tonight with their puck line odds, which sit in plus-money territory at +130. 

Best Bet: Lightning Puck Line -1.5 (+130) 

With the Lightning and Canucks combining for nine goals last week, it should be no surprise that there’s another total set tonight at 6.5. These teams are both led by their offenses, with the Lightning sitting with the fifth-highest goals per game in the league, while the Canucks aren’t far behind them in eighth. The much larger issue for the Canucks is that they sit second-last in the NHL in goals allowed per game, and that’s continued to create lackluster results for them in the standings. A veteran team like the Lightning should have no problem creating an offensive game environment in this matchup, meaning targeting the over 6.5 at -128 is the direction bettors should likely lean. 

Best Bet: Over 6.5 (-128)

It’s no secret how talented this Lightning team continues to be offensively. There’s not only star talent up front, but they also embody a nice amount of depth. In saying that, we’re looking to target one of the superstar talents tonight, Nikita Kucherov, who’s posted great numbers once again. The Russian forward has tallied 62 points in 42 games and is on a hot streak in the goal-scoring department, leading the team with four goals over their past five games. With his recent hot streak, it’s hard to fade his very appetizing price to score tonight at +170.

Best Prop: Nikita Kucherov to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+170)