The Tampa Bay Lightning’s visit to meet the Vegas Golden Knights is set for an opening faceoff on Thursday night at 10 p.m. EST. Tight money line odds are characteristic of a night on which many NHL games are handicapped closely. Washington-Pittsburgh, Florida-LA, and Philly-Nashville are just three of the night’s games which are drawing rigidly even betting action on both sides, with Tampa and Vegas’ sportsbook odds not far off the mark at just pennies separating the Bolts and Golden Knights.

What’s less common about the Lightning’s odds for Thursday is the Over/Under line, which opened at a massive number of O/U (6.5) total goals that isn’t seen on hockey betting boards every day. The Lightning and the Golden Knights skated to a 1-1 tie in regulation time prior to Tampa’s overtime win on Oct. 26, which makes this week’s O/U line look a bit silly. Where are so many goals supposed to come from?

The Golden Knights are having high-scoring games with teams known for veteran checking and solid defense. Last Tuesday, the Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes tallied nine combined goals. Two of Vegas’ first five games played this season were 6-5 shootouts, the first won by the Los Angeles Kings over the Golden Knights on Oct. 8, and the second taken by Vegas over Boston just eight days later. 

Lightning +1.5 (-227)Golden Knights -1.5 (+213)Lightning +115Golden Knights -118Over 6 (+103)Under 6 (-109)

Note: The above data was collected on Nov. 6, 2025, and may have changed since writing. 

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights Betting Trends Tampa Bay had a five-game win streak snapped by Colorado on Tuesday.The Vegas Golden Knights are 4-1 in their last five home games.Tampa Bay is 5-1 ATS in the Lightning’s last six games.Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights Injury ReportsLeft winger Nick Paul is on the injured reserve following upper body surgery.Goaltender Adin Hill is out with a lower body injury.Center Colton Sissons is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights Predictions and Picks 

The O/U line a touch of comedy; both teams have under a 3-goal-allowed average. Perhaps the bookmakers are looking at the Vegas injury report instead, on which goaltender Adin Hill is listed as out for the time being. Perhaps Las Vegas the town, not the team, isn’t sure that G Akira Schmid is the answer. 

Schmid had all the answers on Tuesday, though, shutting out the swift Detroit Red Wings in Vegas’ 1-0 win. “Like a Swiss chocolate, Schmid was sweet and tasty in Tuesday’s 1-0 victory,” writes Jacob Walters of Vegas Hockey Knight. 

Betting action on the under-total-goals was already threatening to drag the O/U line down to a standard number at press time. But if oddsmakers don’t know how tight checking the game could be, what else are they missing? Consider an under-total prop bet for the first period as the teams feel each other out again.