Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference are set to collide later tonight, with the Tampa Bay Lightning paying a visit to the New Jersey Devils.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Tampa Bay Lightning (+114) vs. New Jersey Devils (-137) Total: 6.5 (O-110, U-110)This will be the first of three meetings between these clubs over the next week, and the Lightning and Devils enter this matchup on opposite ends of the spectrum. New Jersey has been playing some really good hockey and has won three straight games amidst a 7-2-1 record over the past ten games. The same can’t be said for the Lightning, who’ve posted a 3-5-2 record over that same sample size. The Devils are listed as home favorites on the moneyline at -137, while the Lightning are priced at +114.
In a powerful Eastern Conference, both the Lightning and Devils are looking to make noise in the postseason, and Tampa Bay has continued to demonstrate each passing season that they have what it takes to do so. On the other hand, the Devils are a younger team looking to get that experience.
Looking towards the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Lightning are expected to start Andrei Vasilevskiy in net, while the Devils should be countering with Vitek Vanecek. The Lightning netminder has posted a 29-17-4 record, paired with a .914 save percentage, while Vanecek is sitting at 28-7-3, along with a .910 save percentage. With how these goalies have been playing of late, it’s likely a wash in net for this contest.
Tampa Bay has been somewhat coasting into the playoffs, with their first-round matchup all but locked up with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Devils are in a race for the Metropolitan division crown, and with how well they’ve been playing of late, there’s value in targeting that success to continue in this matchup tonight.
Best Bet: Devils moneyline (-137)
The Devils and Lightning both manage to sit inside the top ten in the NHL in goals scored per game, while New Jersey also sits fourth in goals allowed per game, compared to Tampa Bay, sitting 15th. There’s certainly a lot of offensive firepower in this matchup that could create a high-scoring tilt. Over the Lightning’s past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored twice, while the Devils have also seen that transpire in a pair of games. With the recent trends these teams have shown us and the strong starting goalies, looking towards the under 6.5 at -110 is the play we’ll be backing tonight.
Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-110)
There are many different options to target in this matchup in terms of potential goal scorers, which means there’s definite value that will be available here. One player that has had his coming out party this season as a superstar in the league is Devils forward Jack Hughes, who’s already tallied 37 goals in 62 games. As a player looking to lead his team on a deep playoff run, this is an excellent benchmark matchup for Hughes to show that he can make a difference. Hughes is listed at +116 to light the lamp tonight, and that number has definite value.
Best Prop: Jack Hughes to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+116)
