The Tampa Bay Lightning (6-5-2) and Vegas Golden Knights (7-2-3) meet Thursday. Puck drop from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Lightning vs. Golden Knights and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Lightning lead 1-0
The Lightning picked up a 2-1 victory in overtime on Oct. 26 at Amalie Arena, cashing as moderate favorites (-135) as the Under (6) cashed. Lightning LW Brandon Hagel and Golden Knights C William Karlsson each scored even-strength goals in the first period, and that was all the scoring in regulation. RW Nikita Kucherov won it in overtime, and Hagel assisted.
Tampa Bay wraps up a 3-game Western Conference road trip. It opened Sunday with a 4-2 win at the Utah Mammoth as an underdog (+100) as the Under (6.5) cashed, while it lost 3-2 at the Colorado Avalanche Tuesday as the Under (6) cashed. The Lightning are still 5-1-0 in the past 6 games, and the Under is 8-2 across the past 10 outings.
Vegas posted a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday behind G Akira Schmid, cashing as a heavy favorite (-190) as the Under (6) hit. The total has gone low in 5 of the past 6 games for VGK.
Lightning at Golden Knights odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:09 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Lightning +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Golden Knights -125 (bet $125 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Lightning +1.5 (-225) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+185)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -110 | U: -110)Lightning at Golden Knights projected goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy (3-4-2, 2.67 GAA, .900 SV%) vs. Akira Schmid (6-1-0, 2.31 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO)
Vasilevskiy allowed 3 goals on 33 shots in a 3-2 road loss against the Avalanche last time out Tuesday, halting a 3-game win streak. He had allowed just 4 total goals on 60 shots during the 3-game win streak. That includes 18 saves on 19 shots in the 2-1 OTW against VGK in Tampa on Oct. 26.
Schmid kicked aside all 24 shots he faced against the Red Wings Tuesday for his first shutout of the season. He has allowed 3 or fewer goals in 3 in a row, and 4 of his 5 starts.
Lightning at Golden Knights picks and predictionsPrediction
Golden Knights 3, Lightning 2
The GOLDEN KNIGHTS (-125) are a solid play as light favorites, as Vegas looks to avenge the OTL in late October in Central Florida.
Vegas is 4-1-1 in 6 home games, and it is a good play as its has revenge on its mind.
The Lightning +1.5 (-225) will cost you more than 2 times your potential return if you want a little bit of insurance. That’s way too much risk for not nearly enough reward.
If you like Tampa Bay, just play it straight up.
PASS.
UNDER 6 (-110) might be the best play on the board here.
The Under is 5-1 in the past 6 games for the Golden Knights, while cashing in each of the past 3 games on home ice.
The Under has cashed in 3 in a row, while hitting each 5 of the past 6 games on the road for the Lightning. And, of course, we had an Under result 2 weeks ago in Tampa.
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