Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Picks, Predictions, Odds

Daniel Dobish Sports Betting Expert

11 minute read

The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers meet at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Fla. on Thursday night for Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, a best-of-seven series. The Lightning lead the series 1-0. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed on TNT.

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Score Prediction

Lightning 4, Panthers 2

Best Bet

Lightning +125
Under 6.5 (-110)

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING vs. FLORIDA PANTHERS PREDICTIONS

The Panthers fired the first shot in Game 1, as Anthony Duclair beat Andrei Vasilevskiy at 14:01 of the first period to take the lead. He scored 31 goals during the regular season, but was a healthy scratch in Game 6 in Washington. It's a guarantee he won't be scratched in Game 2.

After Duclair's goal, it was all Lightning. There were some questionable calls in the game, as Ryan McDonagh was called for interference on a play which looked like a clean hit in the neutral zone, and the Lightning scored a goal late on a play which looked like goaltender interference.

The Panthers were 0-for-3 on the power play in Game 1, and that follows up a disappointing 0-for-18 mark on the man advantage in the Capitals series. The Panthers have dropped seven straight Game 1 matchups, too.

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TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING vs. TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS BETTING ODDS

Lightning +125
Panthers -152
Lightning +1.5 (-200)
Panthers -1.5 (+165)
Over 6.5 (-114)
Under 6.5 (-104)

More Odds | Futures Odds

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING vs. FLORIDA PANTHERS BETTING RESOURCES

• Date: Thursday, May 19, 2022
• Matchup: Atlantic vs. Atlantic
• Venue: FLA Live Arena
• Location: Sunrise, Fla.
• TV-Time: TNT, 7 p.m. ET

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 56-26-8
• ATS: 43-47
• O/U: 49-39-2

After starting the postseason with just two wins in the first five playoff games, Tampa Bay has registered three consecutive victories, outscoring the opposition by a 10-5 margin. Vasilevskiy has been on point lately, too, allowing just one goal in each of the past two games. It's no surprise that the UNDER has hit in each of those contests.

The win in Game 1 improved the Lightning's record to an impressive 25-5 in the past 30 games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The Lightning are now 12-3 in the previous 15 playoff games as an underdog, too. They're back in the role for Game 2, as well.

As far as totals are concerned, the OVER has connected in 13 of the past 17 games overall, while going 5-2 in the past seven games on the road. The OVER is also 6-1 in the past seven when playing on a day of rest. If you're looking for reason to play the UNDER again, besides the Game 1 result, the UNDER is 6-2 in the past eight playoff games for the Lightning when not favored.

FLORIDA PANTHERS BETTING ANALYSIS

Straight Up - SU, Against the Spread - ATS, Over-Under (O/U)

• SU: 62-21-6
• ATS: 44-45
• O/U: 47-34-8

The Panthers have really struggled in the opening game of a new series, dropping seven in a row dating back to the mid-90's. The Panthers are still an impressive 48-12 in the past 60 games at home, while going 46-9 in the past 55 games as a home favorite. They're also 4-1 in the past five playoff games as a favorite.

Despite all of those impressive trends, the Lightning didn't care in Game 1. I still trust Tampa Bay again in Game 2, as they're the two-time defending champs which have dominated in the Conference Semifinals Round. The Panthers haven't been this far in over 26 years, so you have to side with experience.

For totals, the UNDER has dominated for the Panthers lately. It cashed again in Game 1, and the UNDER is now 5-2-3 in the past 10 games at FLA Live Arena, while going 7-3 in the past 10 playoff games when favored, a role they'll reprise on Thursday. The UNDER is also 5-2-3 in the past 10 games as a home favorite, too, and 5-1-1 in the past seven following a loss by three or more goals.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING vs. FLORIDA PANTHERS CONCLUSION

The Lightning are looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead back across and up Interstate 75 to Tampa Bay for Game 3. Truth be told, they're probably flying, but that's neither here nor there.

The home team is still 5-2 in the past seven meetings in this series, while the favorite has hit in 23 of the past 32 in this series, while also going 35-18 in the past 53 meetings overall. The OVER is still 10-4-1 in the past 15 meetings despite the UNDER result in Game 1. However, the UNDER might be the lean here, as the Panthers are 0-fer so far on the power play in seven playoff games, or 0-for-21. That's simply not going to cut it for OVER bettors.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING vs. FLORIDA PANTHERS BETTING TRENDS

• Lightning are 10-4 in the past 14 games overall.
• Lightning are 12-3 in the past 15 playoff games as an underdog.
• Lightning are 25-5 in the past 30 Eastern Conference Semifinals games.
• Panthers are 44-16 in the past 60 games overall.
• Panthers are 48-12 in the past 60 home games.
• Panthers are 46-9 in the past 55 as a home favorite.
• OVER is 18-7 in the past 25 games for the Lightning.
• OVER is 20-9-4 in the past 33 home games for the Panthers.
• Favorite is 35-18 in the past 53 meetings.
• OVER is 20-10-1 in the past 31 meetings.
• OVER is 10-5-1 in the past 16 meetings in Sunrise.

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Daniel Dobish

Dan is a handicapper and sports betting expert for VegasInsider with years of experience writing for a number of top publications in the industry. More from Daniel Dobish