NHL Best Bets: Lightning vs. Devils Game Picks

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference are set to face off later tonight, with the New Jersey Devils hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

Tampa Bay Lightning (+114) vs. New Jersey Devils (-137) Total: 6.5 (O-110, U-110)

This will be the second time this week that the Lightning and Devils have faced off, with the first matchup seeing Tampa Bay pick up a 4-1 victory. These teams are also set to face off on March 19, meaning that’ll equate to three games over one week against one another. Guess you could say that the playoffs are around the corner, so why not, right? The Devils are listed as a home favorite tonight on the moneyline at -137, while the Lightning are priced at +114. 

There’s been a lot to like about the growth and overall development we’ve seen from New Jersey. They’ve posted a 7-2-1 record over their past ten games and are challenging for the Metropolitan division title. On the other hand, things haven’t been going as smoothly for the Lightning, who sit at 3-5-2 over that same sample size. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Lightning are expected to start Andrei Vasilevskiy in goal, while the Devils should be countering with Vitek Vanecek. The Lightning netminder has posted a 30-17-4 record, paired with a .914 save percentage, while Vanecek is sitting at 28-8-3, along with a .908 save percentage. Vasilevskiy should have the edge here, but Vanecek has performed exceptionally well for New Jersey and has been a big part of their success. 

Tampa Bay was a formidable foe in their first matchup earlier this week, but it’s hard to see the Devils losing two games in a row on home ice. New Jersey has posted a 19-13-2 record at home, and there’s direct value in looking toward them to pick up a victory tonight on the moneyline at -137. 

Best Bet: Devils moneyline (-137) 

These teams combined to tally just five goals earlier this week, while tonight’s total is currently at 6.5. Both teams are of the high-scoring variety, with the Devils sitting fourth in the league in goals scored per game and the Lightning sitting slightly behind them in sixth. Over the Lightning’s past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored twice, while the Devils have seen that transpire just once. Even with the high-scoring tendencies here, don’t expect fireworks tonight, meaning siding with the under 6.5 at -110 has some value. 

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-110) 

Even though we’re siding with the under tonight, some solid goal scorers in this matchup are worth considering. It was a quiet night offensively in the first matchup between these clubs, but it’s hard to see Jack Hughes again being contained to that level tonight. Hughes tallied one assist against the Lightning two days ago and has put together 80 points in 63 games on the year. Hughes is priced at a very appetizing number of +126 to score tonight, and we’ll be happy to back those odds. 

Best Prop: Jack Hughes to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+126)