NHL Best Bets: Lightning vs. Golden Knights Game Picks

Two of the NHL’s top franchises are set to face off later tonight, with the Vegas Golden Knights playing host to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

There’s a lot to like about how both the Lightning and Golden Knights are currently playing. Vegas went through a tough stretch in January and into February, but they’ve righted the ship of late and started to play some good hockey. The Golden Knights have won four straight games entering this contest and boast a 5-3-2 record over the past ten games. On the other hand, the Lightning are sitting at 6-2-2 over that same sample size and are coming off a puzzling loss to the Arizona Coyotes. 

This will be the first of two meetings between these clubs, which has the Lightning listed as slight road favorites at -125 on the moneyline while the Golden Knights are priced at +104. The Oddsmakers are not as bullish on the Golden Knights recent win streak, and it’s hard to blame them with the injuries on their roster. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Lightning are expected to start Andrei Vasilevskiy, while the Golden Knights should do the same with Adin Hill. The Lightning netminder has continued another strong campaign, owning a 26-13-1 record, paired with a .920 save percentage. Hill has stepped into the starter’s net for the Golden Knights and posted a 13-5-1 record, along with a .912 save percentage. 

It sounds weird to say, but the Golden Knights recent success seems somewhat of a mirage when you look at how they stack up against the Lightning. There are still some solid pieces on this Golden Knights team, but Tampa Bay is more well-suited to find success in this matchup, and we like their -125 odds on the moneyline. 

Best Bet: Lightning moneyline (-125) 

The Lightning and Golden Knights are both strong teams offensively, with Tampa Bay holding an advantage in that category. Both sides are also strong on defense and in net, which could make for a lower-scoring game. That’s highlighted by the total being set at six for this matchup, with the over priced at -112 while the under is sitting at -108.

Over the past five Lightning games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in two of their contests, while the Golden Knights have seen that transpire in three matchups. It’s hard to get a great read on how this will play out, but we like the offense to take control here, meaning we’ll side with the over at -112. 

Best Bet: Over 6 (-112) 

There’s a lot of offensive talent in this matchup, and some of the prices that currently stick out are on the Lightning side of the equation. For his goal-scoring standards, Steven Stamkos has likely underachieved this season but has still tallied 24 goals in 54 games. The Lightning captain last scored on January 24, when he went through a big hot stretch, meaning he’s clearly due to get back on the scoresheet. Even though he’s been in a slump over the last month, it’s hard to pass up on the value price for Stamkos to score at +148.  

Best Prop: Steven Stamkos to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+148)