Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Game Preview, Predictions, Odds, Betting Tips & more | April 6th, 2024

The Tampa Bay Lightning (43-26-7) are sixth in the Eastern Conference. They visit the 11th-placed Pittsburgh Penguins (35-30-11) at PPG Paints Arena on Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, SN and ABC.

Both Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh won on Thursday. Tampa Bay, playing against the Montreal Canadiens in an away game, secured a 7-4 victory. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh also had a successful day on the ice. It faced off against the Washington Capitals in an away game and managed to secure a 4-1 victory.

Saturday's game marks the third encounter between the two teams this season. In their last face-off, the Lightning emerged victorious 3-1, with Nicholas Paul contributing significantly by scoring two goals.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Game Preview

The Penguins have a 3.00 GFA with a 2.93 GAA. Their power play operates at a 14.7% success rate.

Sidney Crosby is leading the offense with 39 goals and 45 assists, while Evgeni Malkin has contributed 23 goals and 36 assists. Kris Letang has 40 assists. Erik Karlsson has an impressive 39 assists as well.

In goal, Tristan Jarry holds a 19-24-5 record with a 2.90 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage.

The Pittsburgh Penguins are currently dealing with a series of injuries that could potentially impact their performance. Jansen Harkins is sidelined due to an upper body injury, John Ludvig is dealing with an illness, Ryan Graves' status is questionable and Noel Acciari is out with a lower body injury.

Meanwhile, the Lightning have a GFA of 3.51, with a 29.1% success rate on their power play opportunities. At the defensive end, the Lightning have a GAA of 3.24.

Nikita Kucherov leads the team in scoring with 43 goals and 90 assists. Brandon Hagel has contributed 24 goals with 46 assists, while Brayden Point has netted 43 goals and added 42 assists. In goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy holds a 29-17-2 record with a 2.82 goals against average and a save perentage of .901.

The Lightning are also facing injury concerns. Tanner Jeannot is day-to-day with an upper body injury, Jonas Johansson is dealing with a lower body injury, and Mikhail Sergachev is currently out due to a lower body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Head-to-Head and Significant Numbers

The two teams have competed in 106 games, combining regular season and playoffs. The Tampa Bay Lightning are 45-52-5-4 against the Penguins. In faceoffs, the Lightning have a 51.7% win rate, while the Penguins are at 54.8%. On penalty kills, the Lightning have an 83.0% success rate, while the Penguins are at 81.5%.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Odds and Predictions

This season, Tampa Bay has won 28 of its 44 games as the odds-on favorite. The Lightning with odds less than -116 have a 25-39 record, giving them a 53.7% chance of winning this game.

On the other hand, the Penguins have been underdogs in 32 games this season yet have managed to upset their opponents 14 times. However, when faced with odds of -104 or higher, Pittsburgh has gone 11-15, giving it a 51.0% chance of winning this game.

Prediction: Lightning 5–4 Penguins.

Tampa Bay Lightning vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Betting Tips

Tip 1: Lightning to win.

Tip 2: Total goals over 5: Yes.

Tip 3: Sidney Crosby can score anytime: Yes.

Tip 4: Nikita Kucherov to score first: Yes.

Tip 5: Penguins to beat the spread: Yes.