The Florida Panthers (19-12-2) and Tampa Bay Lightning (17-13-5) clash' in the Sunshine State Wednesday night. The opening faceoff at Amalie Arena in Tampa is slated for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Panthers vs. Lightning odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Panthers come out of the NHL’s Christmas break tied for 2nd-place in the Atlantic Division. But they are looking for a bounce after what was a subpar couple of weeks heading into that break. Florida, which ranks 4th in the league in defense (2.61 goals per game), was outscored 18-11 in going 2-4-0 from Dec. 12-23.
Tampa Bay is a point behind Florida and the Toronto Maple Leafs and in 4th in the Atlantic. After beating the Panthers in 7 straight from April 24-Dec. 10, 2022, the Lighting are looking to turn the tide of a 2-game series losing streak. They went into the break on a 3-game winning streak.
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