The Tampa Bay Lightning (20-14-2) travel to face off against the Anaheim Ducks (16-18-4) on Sunday, January 5th. This game will be played at Honda Center in Anaheim and televised on ESPN+. Both the Lightning and Ducks will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:00 ET.

Lightning vs Ducks

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

The Lightning fell to 20-14-2 after a 7-4 road loss to the Jets. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.

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

The Anaheim Ducks Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

After a 4-2 loss to the Blackhawks, the Ducks now sit at 16-18-4. Anaheim was favored on the puck line and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 6 goals fell short of that mark.

The Ducks fell behind 3-0 before scoring in the third period. Brock McGinn got Anaheim on the board at 10:16 in the third, and Mason McTavish added another goal with just 4 seconds left in the game.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

Brandon Hagel got the Lightning on the board with his 7th goal of the season, followed by Brayden Point’s 8th, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov, who now has 10 goals this season, scored for Tampa Bay.

The Lightning fired 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They scored twice in the 1st period, added another in the 2nd, and tied the game 4-4 in the 3rd period before ultimately falling 7-4 to the Jets.

Ducks Offense Breakdown

Anaheim’s offense was held scoreless until the third period in their 4-2 loss to Chicago. Brock McGinn netted his second goal of the season, while Mason McTavish followed with his second, coming on a power play with just four seconds left in the game.

The Ducks fired 39 shots on goal but were hindered by 16 giveaways. Ryan Strome picked up his fourth assist of the season, and Troy Terry added his fifth assist on McTavish’s late goal.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning gave up 7 goals on 32 shots from the Jets, with two of those goals coming as empty-netters late in the 3rd period. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves and finished with a save percentage of 84.4%. Tampa Bay’s defense also recorded 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

Anaheim Team Defense

Defensively, the Ducks gave up the first three goals of the game, including two power-play goals, and another at 2:17 in the 3rd period. Lukas Dostal made 25 saves, finishing with a save percentage of 86.2%. The Ducks’ defense had 6 takeaways and 15 hits.

Lightning vs Ducks Trends

• Tampa Bay has a 1-2 record in their last three road games. In this stretch, they averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 1. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 2-1.
• Through their last ten home contests, the Ducks offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Anaheim posted an overall record of 4-6 while going 6-4 ATS.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Anaheim has an puck line mark of 7-3 while going 6-4 straight up.
• Through their last five games as the favorite, the Lightning have an puck line record of 3-2 and a straight up mark of 3-2.

Lightning vs Ducks Prediction

For those seeking a straight moneyline bet, the Lightning are the top choice. Nonetheless, with a payout of -192, you might want to use this bet as a part of a parlay to get better odds.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Ducks to cover. Even if the Lightning manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Ducks 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.