Tampa Bay Lightning (34-25-6) vs. Florida Panthers (45-17-4)
On Saturday in an exciting NHL regular season matchup, the Tampa Bay Lightning faced off against the Florida Panthers in an intriguing contest at Amerant Bank Arena. Both sides boast stellar records this year; as fans and bettors anticipate what could be an impactful meeting that could determine playoff positioning, hockey free picks have been released today in anticipation of this encounter.
Tampa Bay Lightning’s scoreability is driven by Nikita Kucherov’s incredible performance, who has made a fantastic achievement of 107 points. This makes him the key arsenal of the offensive weapons of the team. Involving Kucherov’s elite ability to score goals and set his teammates, the Lightning’s offense is capable of making a great impact. Fewer challenges could be awaiting them as the Panthers’ set-up in defence, with Sergei Bobrovsky in the goal, who is on a very high standard of .918 saves percentage, will prove to be very tough.
Conversely, the Florida Panthers have a powerful offense on their side centered by Sam Reinhart, who has successfully achieved the amazing feat of scoring 46 goals this season. Together with Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe, the Panthers’ offense enjoyed a great depth and versatility amplifying it to the level, where it could resist any team’s best efforts. Whether this firepower, or experience of their goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, could be important in discriminating the Panthers’ high-scoring offense, will be seen for the time during this game.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Game Info
| When: | Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 6:00 PM ET |
| Where: | Amerant Bank Arena |
| TV: | ESP+ |
| Stream: | NHL.TV |
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky
Andrei Vasilevskiy‘s season is a continuation of confusion and triumph. On his account, the GAA was 2.96 and the SV% was .896, in which he has been quite inconsistent. Yet the reality, that he is able to perform the crucial role for the team under pressure, specifically shootouts, is probably the determining factor during the game against the Panthers’ offense. Vasilevskiy’s fantastic skill set in big games could be the tiny separator saving the Lightning competitively.
On the other end, Sergei Bobrovsky who is a concrete piece for the Panthers. Among the best goalkeepers of the Group Stage, his impressive goals-against average of 2.3 and a save percentage of .918 show how significant his importance to the team’s defensive strategy has become. Without a doubt, Bobrovsky is going to be the core of the Lightning defense which has tremendous power to exploit any connection error.
NHL Odds/Point Spread: TBD, Total Odds: TBD
The betting odds for this game are currently set as TBD, reflecting the anticipation surrounding this matchup. Given the Panthers’ strong performance this season and their impressive record against the spread in road games, they might enter as slight favorites. However, the Lightning’s ability to perform in clutch moments should not be underestimated, making this game a closely contested affair.
Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Trends
The Lightning has a record of 3-2 in their last five games, which shows the sign of resilience. Whereas their road game performance against the spread shows upward swings when away from home, they also have periods of downfalls. The last five games featured only one game with the combined totals going over, so bettors may find a low scoring game the best option, especially knowing that Vasilevskiy can deliver outstanding plays.
Florida Panthers Betting Trends
The Panthers have been trending the same line as the Lightning who have posted a 3-2 goals record in their last 5 games. The impressive road ATS record in those games is noteworthy and most likely to be of great significance in the context of this match-up. With over in two of their last five games due to their offensive capability, there is a chance that the Panthers could leave the game having been higher scoring.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers 3/16/24 Betting Picks
This fixture looks like a thrilling punchup of two sides with playoff ambitions. The Panthers’ offensive depth and their defensive strength, led by Bobrovsky, is a formidable enemy that boasts many proficient players. Nevertheless, the Lightning’s experience and ability to come up with the timely decisions, headed by Vasilevskiy and Kucherov, might be their ultimate trump card.
Taking into account the Panthers’ overall record and the fact that they win on the road, it seems like the safer choice. While the Lightning have a chance of producing an upset that should not be underestimated, especially in the context of top players who are in good form, this makes this call quite delicate. Those seeking the top live betting options may therefore need to look closely at the movement of the game and the goaltenders’ performances in order to determine the best play during in-game betting.
