Jan. 18, 2026, 7:14 a.m. ET<\/p>\n
The Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> (29-13-4) and Dallas Stars<\/a> (27-12-9) meet Sunday. Puck drop from American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, is set for 2 p.m. ET (NHL Network). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s<\/a> NHL odds around the Lightning vs. Stars odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions<\/a>.<\/p>\n Season series: Lightning lead 1-0, a 2-1 overtime win at home Oct. 30<\/p>\n The Lightning’s 11-game winning streak ended Friday with a 3-2 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues. Tampa Bay failed to cash as a -205 road favorite as the Under (5.5) hit. It marked St. Louis\u2019 first overtime or shootout win of the season after starting 0-8. RW Nikita Kucherov scored on a 2-man advantage and assisted on RW Oliver Bjorkstrand\u2019s goal, with D Darren Raddysh assisting on both tallies.<\/p>\n The Stars dropped their ninth game in the last 11 on Thursday, falling 2-1 to the Utah Mammoth. Dallas lost as a +112 road underdog as the Under (6) cashed. The Stars struggled at the faceoff dot, losing 43 of 64 draws. RW Mikko Rantanen scored on the power play, and G Jake Oettinger finished with 25 saves.<\/p>\n Watch the NHL on Fubo!<\/a>Lightning at Stars odds<\/p>\n Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook<\/a>; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub<\/a> for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:06 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n Moneyline (ML): Lightning -110 (bet $110 to win $100) | Stars -110 (bet $110 to win $100)Puck line (PL)\/Against the spread (ATS): Lightning +1.5 (-275) | Stars -1.5 (+220)Over\/Under (O\/U): 6 (O: -110 | U: -110)Lightning at Stars projected goalies<\/p>\n Andrei Vasilevskiy (19-7-3, 2.26 GAA, .913 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Jake Oettinger (16-9-4, 2.74 GAA, .902 SV%, 2 SO)<\/p>\n Vasilevskiy remains unbeaten in regulation in 2026, continuing a strong January run. He is 4-0-1 this month with a 1.94 GAA and a .919 SV%. He has dominated the Stars throughout his career, posting a 16-4-3 record. He also earned a win earlier this season on Oct. 30, stopping 20 of 21 shots.<\/p>\n Oettinger has posted solid numbers overall this season, but has stumbled to open 2026. In January, he is 1-3-1 with a 3.56 GAA and an .862 SV%. He is 3-3-3 with a 2.76 GAA and .903 SV% in 10 career games against the Lightning, including a loss earlier this season despite stopping 31 of 33 shots.<\/p>\n Lightning at Stars picks and predictionsPrediction<\/p>\n Lightning 3, Stars 2<\/p>\n BET LIGHTNING (-110).<\/p>\n Despite a shootout loss Friday, Tampa Bay has gone 9-0-1 over its last 10 games, averaging 4.3 goals during that stretch and ranking second in the NHL at 3.48 goals per game. Dallas continues to struggle, posting a 2-5-4 record over its past 11 games while dealing with defensive lapses, inconsistent goaltending and penalty-kill issues. The Lightning won the first meeting 2-1 in OT and have taken 5 of the last 7 meetings. With Vasilevskiy anchoring a defense that has allowed 3 goals or fewer in 8 straight games, Tampa Bay holds the edge.<\/p>\n PASS.<\/p>\n No need to play around with the puck line when you’ve got moneyline odds tight as this one.<\/p>\n BET UNDER 6 (-110).<\/p>\n The Under has hit in 6 of the last 9 meetings, including the 2-1 result this season. Both teams have stayed under the total in 4 of their last 5 games. With Vasilevskiy in strong form to start 2026, another low-scoring game is likely.<\/p>\n For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com<\/a> and BetFTW<\/a>.<\/p>\n Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter\/X<\/a> and like us on Facebook<\/a>.<\/p>\n