Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction, NHL Odds

Edgar Chaput | Updated Jan 12, 2025

NHL: Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins

On Sunday, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins strive to bounce back from Saturday defeats when they meet at PPG Paints Arena.

Tampa Bay
31-20-3-1
AT
January 12, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
PPG PAINTS Arena
Pittsburgh
23-25-4-5
Puckline -1.5 +155
Moneyline -150
Over / Under o +7
Puckline +1.5 -190
Moneyline +125
Over / Under u +7

Both the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins were in action on Saturday. The Floridian side continued a road trip that took them to New Jersey to face the Devils. They put in a decent effort but fell 3-2 in overtime. As for Pittsburgh they remain at home after hosting the Ottawa Senators, who blew the doors off them courtesy of a convincing 5-0 win.

Our NHL odds believe the Lightning will leave Pittsburgh as winners, pegging them as -142 favourites.

Lightning vs. Penguins NHL Betting Odds

Sunday marks the second meeting of the campaign between these sides and the second in Pittsburgh. The Lightning skated away as 3-2 victors back in November. That was a rare win for Jon Cooper’s operation over the Pens, who have earned the spoils in seven of the last 10 encounters.

As a matter of fact, the Lightning would do well to recall what helped them win on the road the last time seeing as the club is on a four-game slide on its travels. They haven’t scored more than two goals in any game, and they only scored that many in the most recent Devils match. The Lightning have done well for themselves against the puckline this season, sporting a decent 22-18-0 ATS record. They ride or die by goalie Andrei Vasilevksiy, but he started yesterday. Don’t be surprised if Jonas Johansson is between the pipes.

The Penguins were viewed as a sinking ship not so long ago, but now find themselves in the thick of the race for a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. It remains to be seen how long they’ll relevant given that they’ve lost five of their past six outings. They also haven’t conceded fewer than 3 goals in any of them, including the victory. Future Hall of Famer Evgeni Malkin remains sidelined with an injury. Pittsburgh is an even 22-22-0 ATS this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning

There was a little bit of everything that sunk Tampa Bay on Saturday against the Devils, even though the overall performance in the 3-2 OT loss was by no means poor.

That said, the first period was rough, with New Jersey dominating much of the play until an attempt from the point found a funny bounce and beat Vasilevskiy. Tampa didn’t wait long to reply, as Victor Hedman got his sixth of the season less than two minutes later, also through a deflection. Jack Hughes would provide the hosts with a 2-1 lead in the second period, and the Lightning were flustered by Jacob Markstrom, who at one point robbed Brayden Point of a sure goal in front of the net.

Nikita Kucherov levelled the terms 2-2 on a breakaway in the third period that pushed the contest into the extra frame. That said, a lack of discipline resulted in them having to survive a penalty kill, which failed the instant New Jerey’s Stefan Noesen batted hom a rebound in the crease to end the game.

Pittsburgh Penguins

If the Lightning’s effort was commendable in defeat, the same cannot be said of the Penguins, who were pounded into submission 5-0 by Ottawa.

Truth be told, although the club had a respectable November and December to stay relevant, Saturday’s match was a reminder that they have a long way to go. Poor defending and goaltending resulted in a 3-0 hole by the first intermission. It was the sort of match in which despite outshooting the opposition (29-22), it rarely looked like the Pens were actually going to turn the tide.

Alex Nedeljkovic was pulled after the fifth goal, although the fifth one and fourth were perhaps not entirely his fault. Erik Karlsson led the shots with four. Sidney Crosby fired twice and finished with a minus-1 rating. Rickard Rakell had a rough day with a minus-2 rating.

NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Lightning vs. Penguins?

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