The Florida-Tampa matchup never needs extra fuel. The Lightning struck first in the in-state rivalry, but the Panthers roll into Tampa on Monday full of momentum and looking for revenge. The puck drops at Amalie Arena at 7 p.m. EST with coverage on the NHL Network and Scripps Sports.

Tampa Bay (18-11-3) took the first meeting back on Nov. 15 with a 3-1 win, part of a stretch that helped push the Lightning near the top of the Atlantic. The Lightning enters Monday tied for first in the division, leaning heavily on Nikita Kucherov, who leads all skaters in the matchup with 42 points. Brandon Hagel continues to complement that production, matching Panthers wing Brad Marchand with 18 goals.

The Panthers (16-13-2) leveraged Marchand’s two-goal night to secure a 4-0 win in Dallas on Saturday to win their fourth of their last five games. Florida is 7-0-1 in one-goal games this season and have scored at least four goals in four of their last five outings. Marchand leads the club with 34 points, while Carter Verhaeghe has quietly produced 14 points over his last 10 games.

Goaltending looms large again. Sergei Bobrovsky has struggled statistically, while Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy may return from injured reserve on Monday, bringing his 2.31 goals-against average.

Panthers +1.5 (-2194)Lightning -1.5 (+178)Panthers +127Lightning -133Over 6.5 (+117)Under 6.5 (-127)

Note: The above data was collected on Dec. 15, 2025, and may have changed since writing.

Panthers vs Lightning Betting TrendsThe Panthers are 4-9 against the spread on the road this season.The Lightning are 3-12 against the spread when playing at home.The Panthers have won five of their last seven road matchups.The Lightning have won eight of their last 12 home games.The Panthers have won 14 of the last 20 matchups against the Lightning.The over has hit in five of the last seven meetings between these teams.Panthers vs Lightning Injury ReportsDmitry Kulikov, D — Injured reseve, upper body.Aleksander Barkov, C — Injured reserve, knee.Tomas Nosek, C — Injured reserve, knee.Matthew Tkachuk, LW — Injured reserve, groin.Jonah Gadjovich, LW — Injured reserve, upper body.Cole Schwindt, RW — Injured reserve, arm.Victor Hedman, D — Injured reserve, elbow.Ryan McDonagh, D — Injured reserve, lower body.Andrei Vasilevskiy, G — Injured reserve, upper body.Erik Cernak, D — Injured reserve, undisclosed.Emil Martinsen Lilleberg, D — Day to day, undisclosed.Panthers vs Lightning Predictions and Picks

“The Lightning have the goaltending edge, the defensive edge, and the home-ice advantage. Florida can absolutely score, but without Tkachuk, they rely heavily on Marchand to drive offense. Against Tampa’s structure, that’s a tough ask over 60 minutes. I also like Tampa’s ability to control tempo. If this game stays tight early — which it likely will — Tampa is the more comfortable team in one-goal situations.” — Kim Smith, Picks and Parlays

“Florida rolls into this matchup after winning four of their last five games and they have scored at least four goals in all four of those wins …. Tampa Bay has struggled over the last two weeks and they continue to deal with some major injuries. I think Florida is in better form right now and even if Vasilevskiy is back, I like the Panthers to get the road win.” — David Racey, Sports Chat Place

“I’m on the Panthers and the plus money in this one. This is a rivalry matchup and one of the premier ones in the NHL right now, but the health of Andrei Vasilevskiy, or lack thereof, has made the goalie matchup a little bit one-sided as I’m expecting Sergei Bobrovsky to go for the Panthers here. Jonas Johansson is a decent backup, but a backup nonetheless, and I think the Panthers take care of business to get the win on the road here.” — Chris Ruffolo, PickDawgz