The Tampa Bay Lightning (16-13-5) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (17-9-4) on Saturday, December 23rd. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Washington Capitals

The Tampa Bay Lightning Are Coming Off A Win

Coming into today’s action, the Lightning have rattled off two straight wins which has them sitting with an overall record of 16-13-5. At home, they are 10-3-3 and 6-10-2 on the road. Their current record places them 4th in the Eastern Atlantic division and 9th in the Eastern conference. Tampa Bay comes in with 12 wins with a margin of more than one goal this season and lost 13 games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line performance is 17-17.

The Lightning recently hosted the Golden Knights and emerged victorious with a 5-4 win. In the first period, the Lightning struggled to find the net on offense, but they turned things around with four times in the second period and one goal in the third. Of Tampa Bay’s five goals, two were scored while in power play situations. Their game ended with 36 shots on goal and six giveaways.

Although Tampa Bay secured a straight-up win, they did not cover the puck line, as they were favored by -1.5. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 6.5 goals, with a combined total of 9 goals.

The Washington Capitals Are Coming Off A Win

As they head into their game vs. the Lightning, the Capitals have a 17-9-4 record thus far. While playing at home, their record stands at 9-4-2, and they have 8-5-2 mark on the road. This record has them sitting 4th in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 5th in the Eastern conference. Washington comes in with seven wins with a margin of more than one goal this season and lost eight games by multiple goals. Their overall puck line performance is 13-17.

Facing the Blue Jackets in their last game, the Capitals won by a score of 3-2. Looking at the Capitals offense vs. the Blue Jackets, they managed to score one goal in the opening period and one time in the second period. Washington’s two power-play goals contributed to their total of 3 goals. Their offensive performance came with 32 shots on goal and two giveaways.

Despite the straight-up win, Washington did not cover the puck line, as they were favored by -1.5. The over/under line for the game was 6, and it concluded with a combined total of 5 goals.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

When looking at their offense, the Lightning have an average of 3.4 goals per game this season, positioning themselves 4th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are ranked 8th in the league. The Lightning went 11-9 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 5-4.

This season, the over/under record for the Lightning’s is 16-16-2. Over the course of the season, they have had 18 games that exceeded the over/under line of 6. On average, their games are averaging 6.9 goals per game.

Washington Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Capitals come into the game at 2.4 goals per contest placing 31st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 32nd position in the league. This year, the Capitals have recorded a 5-3 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have 12-6 record.

This season, the Capitals’ have an over/under record of 9-20-1. Throughout the season, they have played 19 games that did not exceed the 6 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 5.3 goals per game.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning are currently 7th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.9 shots per game against Tampa Bay. They also are 5th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Washington Team Defense

Washington defense takes on the Lightning ranked 24th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 31 shots per game against Washington. They alsso are 17th in shutouts, with 2 shutouts.

Lightning vs Capitals Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 3-7. Their straight up record in these matchups was 4-6 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• In their last five home games, Washington has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 3-2 while going 3-2 vs. the spread.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Washington has an puck line mark of 4-1 while going 2-3 straight up.
• In their last three contests as the favorite, Tampa Bay has a poor record vs the puck line going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 2-1.

Lightning vs Capitals Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Lightning to secure a victory over the Capitals on the road. With the moneyline currently set at -138, I’m locking in my bet on the Lightning straight-up.

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