The NHL's Stadium Series takes place in Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
The Boston Bruins fly down south to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning and our staff is coming correct with a myriad of best bets. This will be a chilly night in the Sunshine State. Forecasts are calling for a clear night, with a high of 42 degrees and will get as low of 35 degrees.
Let's dive into our staff's NHL best bets, picks and predictions for the Stadium Series in the Lightning vs Bruins duel.
NHL Stadium Series Best Bets for Lightning vs Bruins
| Game | Time (ET) | Pick |
|---|---|---|
  | 6:30 p.m. | |
| 6:30 p.m. | |
| 6:30 p.m. | |
| 6:30 p.m. | |
| 6:30 p.m. | |
| 6:30 p.m. | |
Specific betting recommendations come from the sportsbook offering preferred odds as of writing. Always shop for the best price using our NHL Odds page, which automatically surfaces the best lines for every game. | ||
Bruins vs. Lightning
By Tony Sartori
The Boston Bruins are running into the hottest goaltender in the NHL, Andrei Vasilevskiy. Over his past 14 starts, Vasilevskiy is 13-0-1 with a .929 save percentage and a 1.68 goals-against average.
Opponents have scored two or fewer goals in 10 of those 14 outings. That trend is likely to continue against the Bruins, a team Vasilevskiy is 4-2 against over the past six meetings with a .912 save percentage and a 2.15 goals-against average.
In each of those four wins, Boston scored two or fewer goals.
Despite the Bruins’ recent success, they have struggled to generate high-danger scoring chances. This season, Boston ranks 23rd in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60).
Pick: Bruins Team Total Under 2.5 (-135)
| | | | | |
Bruins vs. Lightning
This is an awesome matchup to be featured in the Stadium Series. I don’t think the schedule makers could’ve drawn it up any better with both teams playing some great hockey.
Each is 8-1-1 in its last 10 games, and while Boston dropped six in a row in late December, the Bruins have since rattled off 12 wins in their last 15.
Tampa Bay has been even hotter, winning 16 of its last 18, largely thanks to Andrei Vasilevskiy playing out of his mind.
During that stretch, he’s 13-0-1 with a 1.68 GAA and a .929 save percentage. Even more impressive, Vasilevskiy has posted an absurd 21.0 GSAx over his last 20 games.
Boston’s Jeremy Swayman has also been excellent in net, owning a 16.1 GSAx this season and 9.4 GSAx over his last 10.
There’s always discussion about whether outdoor games affect a goalie’s sightline, so with how well these two have played, this should be a true test of that logic.
What stands out most to me when making this pick, though, is how much more the numbers align with Tampa Bay’s play compared to Boston’s.
Don’t get me wrong, Boston has played great, but looking at its last 10 games, it’s a little shocking to see the Bruins rank 28th in xGF% (45.07), 27th in xGA (34.23), and 27th in expected goal differential (-6.14).
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, sits second in all three of those categories during that same span.
I think Tampa Bay is simply the better team. I’ll take the plus-money puckline and trust Vasilevskiy to deliver another gem.
Pick: Lightning -1.5 (+120)
| | | | | |
Bruins vs. Lightning
By Greg Liodice
David Pastrnak has continued to be one of the league's premium scorers and his career point-per-game pace isn't slowing down whatsoever.
Prior to being held pointless on Thursday, Pastrnak played to an eight-game point streak and posted 14 points in that timeframe.
But not just that, the man they call "Pasta" has been peppering shots left and right. In three of his past five games, he's fired six or more shots on goal.
Now, I've noticed a trend with Pastrnak over this season. Either he gets involved in the attack, or he's used as a decoy to distract the opposition.
Having that ripper of a shot can do wonders for a team.
On Tuesday, Pastrnak was mainly used as a decoy, and there's a chance we see that again tonight against Tampa. But here's the thing: the Lightning have been deadly on the defensive end, and it just may force Pastrnak to attempt a takeover.
In games against playoff teams or borderline playoff teams, Pastrnak averages 3.9 shots per game, and in the only game the B's faced the Lightning, he fired five shots on goal.
And while this may be a risk given Tampa's defensive strengths, it's well worth a flier since Pastrnak has shown he can be a shooter when his team needs him.
Pick: David Pastrnak 4+ Shots on Goal (+100)
| | | | | |
Bruins vs. Lightning
By Tony Sartori
Vasilevskiy has also received strong goal support during this dominant stretch, largely from forward Nikita Kucherov.
Kucherov has scored 14 goals over his past 16 games.
Meanwhile, Boston is expected to start goaltender Jeremy Swayman. He has allowed three or more goals in three of his past four starts, posting a .888 save percentage and a 3.71 goals-against average over that span.
If Swayman allows three or more goals again, it is difficult to envision Kucherov not being involved in the scoring.
Pick: Nikita Kucherov Anytime Goal Scorer (+120)
| | | | | |
Bruins vs. Lightning
By Nick Griffith
For good reason, most of the conversation around the Lightning has focused on their elite offense and goaltending.
Nikita Kucherov piled up 31 points in 13 games last month, and Andrei Vasilevskiy put together a résumé of eye-popping stats that’s too long to list.
But one thing that has flown under the radar is the contributions from their blue line, especially with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh sidelined for long stretches this season.
The good news is that Hedman is hoping to return for this one after being out since December 9 following elbow surgery.
In the meantime, Darren Raddysh has stepped into a much larger role and made the most of it. He’s logged significant ice time and produced 47 points in 46 games this season, including 15 goals—his previous career high was just six.
He and J.J. Moser have developed into an elite pairing, and one the Lightning have leaned on heavily.
Raddysh’s SOG line is currently sitting at 2.5. He’s cleared that number in seven of his last 10 games, reaching four or more shots in five of them.
At +105, there’s solid value in backing him to go over it once again.
Pick: Darren Raddysh Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (+105)
| | | | | |
Bruins vs. Lightning
By Greg Liodice
For as long as I've been betting on outdoor hockey games, I've tended to lean on the under.
Why, you may ask? Well, there was once a thing called "Outdoor Unders," but then scoring leaguewide had increased overtime, and for the past five outdoor games, the totals have reached 6 or more goals.
I think tonight bucks the trend, though, and to piggyback off Tony and Nick, we have two of the NHL's most premium goaltenders in Jeremy Swayman and Andrei Vasilevskiy playing tonight and they've both been playing lights out hockey.
But let's dive more into numbers, shall we?
For Tampa Bay, apart from an 8-5 bloodbath loss to the Blue Jackets, we've seen the Lightning go through a stretch of low-scoring games. In eight of the last nine games, the Bolts' total has been under 6 goals.
Not just that, they've been the league's top defensive team, playing to a 2.18 xGA/60 in the month of January.
Boston, on the other hand, is a bit different.
Defensively, the B's have found themselves a few more exciting bouts, averaging 3.5 goals per game over the past 10 games, and letting up 2.5 goals.
Either way, the Lightning tend to dictate the pace here, and given the goaltending factor here, I'm banking on the under here.
Pick: Under 6.0 (-105)
| | | | | |
