The Florida Panthers (21-11-2) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (18-10-2) on Sunday, December 22nd. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa and televised on ESPN+. The Panthers 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 5:00 ET.

Panthers vs Lightning

The Florida Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

Florida improved to 21-11-2 with a 4-2 win over the Stars. The Panthers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6.5 goals was not reached, as the teams combined for 6 goals.

All four of Florida’s goals came from different players. They led 2-0 before the Stars tied it up, but A.J. Greer’s goal in the third period put the Panthers ahead for good.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Lightning fell to 18-10-2 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. Tampa Bay’s defense struggled, especially in the third period, where they gave up four goals. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for 11, far exceeding that line.

Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and they never covered. They held a 2-0 lead early, but the Jets came back to tie it at 3-3 before pulling away in the third period. Four different Lightning players scored in the game.

Florida Offense Breakdown

Carolina’s offense was busy in their last game, with 16 giveaways and 25 shots on goal. They scored 4 times, including an empty-netter. A.J. Greer netted his first goal of the season, while Sam Reinhart added his 10th with the empty-netter.

Each of the Panthers’ 4 goals came from a different player. Evan Rodrigues kicked things off with his third goal of the year. Matthew Tkachuk added a power-play goal, his third of the season.

Lightning Offense Breakdown

The Lightning scored 4 goals on 30 shots in their 7-4 loss to the Jets. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point followed with his 8th on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th, unassisted.

Tampa Bay had 8 giveaways and recorded 4 assists. Jake Guentzel’s 8th assist came on Chaffee’s goal, and Nick Paul picked up his 7th assist. Victor Hedman and Nikita Kucherov each earned their 10th assist of the season on Point’s power-play goal.

Florida Team Defense

Defensively, the Panthers allowed two goals to the Stars, both coming in the second period. Spencer Knight made 23 saves with a 92% save percentage. The Panthers’ defense also recorded 8 takeaways and 22 hits.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Tampa Bay’s defense struggled late, giving up three goals in the 3rd period, including two empty-netters. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, but the Lightning’s defense also had to deal with 32 shots on goal from the Jets.

Panthers vs Lightning Trends

• In their last five games away from home, the Panthers have a straight up record of 3-2 while going 2-3 vs the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Tampa Bay has an puck line record of 6-4 while averaging 4 per game. The team went 6-4 overall in these games.
• In their last three games as the betting underdog, the Lightning have a straight up record of 1-2 and an puck line mark of 2-1.
• Over the team’s last three games as the favorite, the Panthers struggled vs the puck line going just 1-2. However, they still had a straight up mark of 2-1.

Panthers vs Lightning Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Panthers to pick up on a win over the Lightning and the road. With the moneyline sitting at -114, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Panthers straight-up.

When it comes to my suggested pick for the puck line, I’d advise taking the Lightning to cover. Even in the event of a Panthers victory, this matchup is likely to remain closely contested, and the Lightning should cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering 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.