Tampa Bay Lightning Travel to Detroit to Face the Red Wings

The Tampa Bay Lightning will head to the Little Caesars Arena on Saturday afternoon to take on the Detroit Red Wings in an Atlantic Divisional matchup.

This will be the third of four games against one another. Tampa Bay was able to win the first two meetings, including a 3-1 home win back on March 4.

The Lightning are currently second in the Atlantic Division (39-16-6, 84 points), while the Red Wings are sitting at fifth in the Atlantic Division (25-30-7, 57 points).

These two franchises have a lot to play for in a divisional game, and this should be entertaining, to say the least. Let’s take a closer look at Tampa Bay and Detroit to determine where we should be betting this matchup.

The Difference Is In Net for the Tampa Bay Lightning

Center Steven Stamkos has been doing well as he is tied for 19th in the league in points, tied for 21st in the NHL in goals, and tied for 26th in the sport in assists as he has 66 points (27 goals, 39 assists) while also adding three points in his last two games.

Tampa Bay is doing well on the offensive side of things as a team, as they are averaging 3.33 goals on 30.2 shots so far. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a top player at his position this season as he is 32-12-4 with 2.36 goals allowed per game and a .919 save percentage. As a team, the Lightning are giving up 2.79 goals on 29.7 shot attempts. 

Detroit is playing at a good level offensively this season as they are scoring 2.82 goals on 29.5 shot attempts. Center Dylan Larkin has been doing well as he is tied for 21st in hockey as he is posting 59 points (27 goals, 32 assists) with two points scored in his previous three games.

On the defensive side of things, the Red Wings are allowing 3.71 goals on 33.5 shots as of this writing. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic has been struggling brutally this season as he is 16-19-6 with a .904 save percentage and 3.15 goals allowed per game. 

Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings Betting Prediction

There is a reason why the records are what they indicate, as Tampa Bay is allowing 1.3 goals in their last three games while Detroit is giving up four goals in their previous five games.

The Lightning are 28-33 against the spread this season, while the Red Wings are a level below them at 25-37 against the spread.

All in all, go with the Tampa Bay Lightning to cover the puck line on the road against a divisional rival.

* All odds 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.