Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Game 5 Prediction, Odds
The Panthers pushed the Lightning to thr brink of elimination with a 4-2 victory on home ice in Game 4 and return to Tampa Bay enjoying a dominating 3-1 series lead. For the Lightning, Monday’s loss marked the club’s eighth defeat in their past 12 games and also marked the Bolts’ 11th loss in their past 14 postseason contests.
Wednesday night’s contest is pegged as a pick’em on the NHL odds, with each of these club’s sporting -110 odds. The Panthers lead the way as short -1000 chalk on the NHL playoff series prices and trail only Carolina as a +500 bet on the Stanley Cup odds. The Lightning lag as +650 longshots to rebound and win this series and the total for Wednesday’s matchup is listed at 5.5.
Panthers vs. Lightning NHL Playoff Betting Odds
The Lightning let a 2-1 third period lead slip away in Game 4, allowing three goals in the final four minutes on their way to a 4-2 loss, and now face elimination in the first round for a third straight. Tampa Bay has compiled a dismal 1-6 record on home ice during their current run of playoff futility. Overall, the Lightning have also struggled when facing their cross-state rivals, compiling a 5-13 record in 18 regular season and playoff dates with the Panthers since February 2023. The relatively high scoring in this series comes as somewhat of a surprise after both these clubs stumbled on offence down the stretch.
These clubs have combined to score six or more goals in three of the first four games of the series and have now seen the OVER pay out in four of their past five dates. However, the Lightning need to find a higher gear after scoring just two goals in three of the first four games of the series. That remains a very real possibility for the club, which has averaged 4.56 goals per game over the past nine home dates. The Panthers now find themselves poised to claim their eighth victory in nine playoff series since the start of the 2023 NHL playoffs and have won eight of their past 11 playoff road dates.
Florida Panthers
Anton Lundell emerged as an unexpected hero in Monday’s Game 4 victory. In addition to potting Florida’s first goal, the 23-year-old forward also set up Seth Jones’ game winner to end a five-game points drought and contribute his first multi-point performance since late February. Netminder Sergei Bobrovsky was once again steady in the crease while seeing limited action, turning aside 18 of 20 shots in Game 4 and has now limited Tampa Bay to two or fewer goals in seven of 11 dates with the Lightning since the start of last spring’s NHL playoffs. While this club remains largely healthy, they will be missing veteran defenceman Aaron Ekblad, who has been slapped with a two-game suspension for a vicious hit on Brandon Hagel in Game 4.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Now faced with the prospect of elimination, the Lightning need to find ways to generate more offence if they are to extend this series. The team has scored just nine total goals through the first four games and just two Lightning shooters have scored multiple goals, with Jake Guentzel and Brayden Point each lighting the lamp twice. The NHL’s top point producer during the regular season, Nikita Kucherov has been held in check by the Panthers. Kucherov has up four assists but has failed to crack the scoresheet in two of the four games and enters Game 5 as a +125 bet on the NHL player props to turn in a multi-point performance on Wednesday.
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