Devils vs. Lightning Prediction
The Tampa Bay Lightning showed in Game 1 of their first round series with the New Jersey Devils two nights ago that they are one of the favorites to come out of the Eastern Conference this postseason. Is Tampa Bay a good bet to continue their strong play in Game 2 this afternoon?
Game Snapshot
57 New Jersey Devils at 58 Tampa Bay Lightning
Saturday, April 14, 2018
Amalie Arena at 3PM ET
TV: NBC
Public Betting Information
According to oddsmakers at YouWager, the Lightning are a -240 favorite to win on the moneyline. The Devils are a +200 underdog, while the over-under sits at 6 goals. As of Saturday afternoon, 57 percent of bets are coming in on the visiting Devils. Check out our NHL Public Betting Page for the latest information.
Tampa Bay displays depth in Game 1
The Lightning have no shortage of offensive weapons and it showed in the first game of the series as five different players lit the lamp in the 5-2 victory over New Jersey. Ondrej Palat led the way as he tallied a goal plus two assists. Yanni Gourde and Tyler Johnson each notched a goal and an assist. Alex Killorn and Nikita Kucherov both added a goal and an assist. Tampa Bay completed the regular season with the NHL’s top offense (3.9 goals per game) and this is how you get there. Sure, the Lightning have their leading stars. But on a night where its most recognizable name in Steven Stamkos was held off the scoresheet, the Lightning still managed a five-goal output. Don’t expect them to slow down soon.
Role players must step up for Devils
New Jersey has one top-notch scorer in Taylor Hall and he showed up in Game 1, racking up a goal and also assisting on a Travis Zajac power play goal with 10:25 left in the third period that brought the visitors within a 3-2 score before Tampa Bay put it away late. Hall notched 39 goals and 54 assists this season, while Nico Hischier is the next-leading scorer for the Devils and he ended the regular season with 20 goals along with 32 assists in a full 82 games. New Jersey can’t expect to grind out low-scoring wins against the high-powered Lightning, but it also can’t rely on Hall to do all the work to put goals on the board.
NHL Betting Trends
New Jersey
The over is 6-0 in the last six Devils games after scoring two or less goals in their previous game. The home team is 6-1 in the last seven meetings. The over is 4-0 in the last four New Jersey games after allowing five or more goals in its previous game.
Tampa Bay
The Lightning are 5-1 in their last six at home versus the Devils. The under is 4-0 in the last four Tampa Bay games on Saturday. The under is 4-0 in the last four Tampa Bay games played on one day of rest.
Prediction: A bet on the Lightning comes with a steep price here and for whatever reason, I believe the Devils will keep this one close and it might even be an overtime game. In order to do that, New Jersey must generate some offense. Like I said before Game 1, the Tampa Bay offense has been outstanding all season but its defense has shown some holes at various times. I’m going to take the over for a second straight game. If you want to take a chance, a moneyline bet on underdog New Jersey is also intriguing.
NHL DAILY PREDICTION: DEVILS/LIGHTNING OVER 6