The Tampa Bay Lightning (25-18-3) travel to face off against the Chicago Blackhawks (15-28-4) on Friday, January 24th. This game will be played at United Center in Chicago and televised on ESPN+. The Blackhawks are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lightning are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jets. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

Lightning vs Blackhawks

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Tampa Bay’s record dropped to 25-18-3 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. The Lightning, underdogs on the puck line, saw the total of 11 goals surpass the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.

The Lightning held a 2-0 lead early, but the Jets responded with seven of the next nine goals. Four different players scored for Tampa Bay in the game.

The Chicago Blackhawks Are Coming Off A Win

With a 4-2 win over the Ducks, the Blackhawks improved to 15-28-4 this season. Chicago, the underdog on the puck line, covered by winning outright. The total was set at 6.5 goals, and the combined 6 goals fell just short of that mark.

Four different players scored for the Blackhawks, who led 3-0 before the Ducks got on the board. Chicago’s defense held strong until the 10:16 mark of the third period, when Anaheim scored their first goal.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

The Lightning struck first in their 7-4 loss to the Jets, with Brandon Hagel netting his 7th goal of the season. Brayden Point followed with his 8th, scoring on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, while Nikita Kucherov found the net for the 10th time this season, unassisted in the third period.

Tampa Bay fired 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. The Lightning’s second goal came on a power play, with Kucherov earning his 10th assist of the season, and Victor Hedman picking up his 10th assist as well.

Blackhawks Offense Breakdown

Chicago’s offense was highlighted by Ryan Donato’s 7th goal of the season in their 4-2 win over Anaheim. Seth Jones added his 2nd goal of the year, while Teuvo Teravainen netted his 4th. Isaak Phillips opened the scoring for the Blackhawks, who took 29 shots on goal.

Connor Bedard contributed with two assists, bringing his total to 9 for the season. Taylor Hall also added an assist, now with 4 assists this year. Chicago scored twice on the power play and recorded 12 giveaways.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning struggled late, giving up the decisive goal at the 7:38 mark of the 3rd period, along with two empty-netters. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage. Tampa Bay’s defense added 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

Chicago Team Defense

Defensively, the Blackhawks will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just 2 goals to the Ducks. Arvid Söderblom made 38 saves with a 95% save percentage. Chicago’s defense also contributed 6 takeaways and 5 hits. Both goals they allowed came in the 3rd period, including one with just 4 seconds remaining.

Lightning vs Blackhawks Trends

• Across the Lightning last ten road games, the team averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 5-5, while going 3-7 straight-up.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Chicago has an puck line record of 2-1 while averaging 3 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• The last ten games that Chicago was the underdog, they have an puck line mark of 6-4 while going 3-7 straight up.
• Over the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Lightning struggled vs the puck line going just 1-2. However, they still had a straight up mark of 2-1.

Lightning vs Blackhawks Prediction

If you’re considering a direct moneyline bet, the Lightning is the choice to make. However, with a payout of -227, you might want to use this bet as a building block for a parlay.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Blackhawks to cover. Even in the event of a Lightning victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Blackhawks should cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.