Free NHL Prediction: Lightning vs Jets
NHL betting sees the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Winnipeg Jets on Friday October 23rd at MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Cappers Picks provides complimentary handicapping picks all NHL season long so stay tuned for more FREE NHL predictions.
NHL Betting
Tampa Bay Lightning (4-2-1) at Winnipeg Jets (4-2-0)
Date: Friday October 23rd
Time: 8:00PM
Venue: MTS Centre – Winnipeg, Manitoba
ATS Betting Lines: Jets -1.5
NHL Moneyline Odds: Jets -107
NHL Betting Total: 5.5
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It’s deja vu all over again in this one as these two teams met on Friday, October 24th in Winnipeg last season. The Lightning were victorious in that one by a count of 4-2 and the Jets will be looking to atone for having the Lightning spoil their fun at home.
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Action will get underway at 8:00 p.m. with goalies Ben Bishop and Ondrej Pavelec manning the creases for their respective teams. Goals should be in abundance here as both teams have their offenses in gear early on.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Eastern Conference champs from a year ago have picked up where they left off and are out to a pretty solid start. It’s not a new look team this year but there’s some new dynamics to the way that this team is getting things done.
For starters the triplets line of Tyler Johnson, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat has not been as dominant as they were a year ago, at least thus far. Much of the reason for that is that their line is drawing the tougher match ups now, squaring off against top D-pairs and checking lines.
Where Tampa Bay excels however is their depth; if you’re focused on the triplets, you’re leaving Steven Stamkos to do his thing without being harassed all night by a top end group.
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The biggest beneficiary so far has been not only Stamkos but his new linemate Jonathan Drouin, who has recorded six points in seven games thus far. Stamkos has posted the same total, with five of those points coming by way of goals.
The Johnson line has combined for just nine points so far this year, but they’re always dangerous and if they’re creating easier matchups for Stamkos then this team is going to be a handful.
Depth is this team’s strong point, the talent at the top end is elite and the third and fourth lines are full of contributors as well with the likes of Brian Boyle, Alex Killorn, Valtteri Filppula (Yes, those are third and fourth line guys).
This team is stacked top to bottom and they can attack in waves and don’t give you a lot of time to breath. On the blueline Victor Hedman is turning into a star and showing why he was the team’s second overall pick in 2009. Fellow Swede Anton Stralman has been very good as well, as has Jason Garrison.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets seem to be the anti-Lightning when you look at them on paper. Their team is stockpiled with, well, good but not great players who all perform well above what they are on a nightly basis.
A top end team would love to have the likes of Andrew Ladd, Bryan Little or Blake Wheeler playing on their second or third lines, those guys are first line players in Winnipeg though, and they get the job done.
Mark Scheifele is starting to blossom into a legitimate centre in this league and at 6’2 he’s showing that he can compete night in and night out with the big boys in the Western Conference.
Scheifele has posted three goals and an assist in six games this year skating alongside rookie Nikolaj Ehlers and Mathieu Perreault.
While the talent depth might not be near what Tampa offers, the Jets are a big and hard working team that makes you earn every inch of ice, which often times has been a crux for the Lightning.
Tampa struggled mightily last year against the big Bruins, and with a relatively small team save for Hedman and Boyle and a few others, the Lightning are a small team that relies more on their speed and skill than banging along the boards and grinding a team down.
If Winnipeg wants to win tonight, their big bodies are going to have to close down space and make life difficult on the speedy Tampa team.
In a street fight type game, Winnipeg can tangle with anyone, if they try to get into a track meet with the Lightning they’re going to get chased out of the arena.
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NHL Trends
Under is 6-2-1 in TB last 9 road games.
Under is 7-3-1 in TB last 11 overall.
Over is 7-2 in WIN last 9 vs. Atlantic.
WIN are 6-2 in their last 8 vs. Eastern Conference.
WIN are 8-3 in their last 11 vs. Atlantic.
4* Free NHL Betting Prediction: Tampa Bay +1.5
Speed and skill trumps most in today’s NHL, but the Jets will keep this close, I just don’t see any way that the Jets outscore Tampa by two.
Add to that, the Lightning started their four game road trip with a loss to Nashville, and after Winnipeg they have the Blackhawks and Blues, this road trip could go south in a hurry if they lose tonight. They’ll be desperate to get to .500 on this trip.
NHL Free Score Prediction: Lightning 3 – Jets 2
This is going to be a battle all night and I can see the Lightning going down 1-0 early but taking a 2-2 tie into the third where their speed and skill will take over and lift them to a win.
NHL Free Score Prediction: Los Angeles 4- Carolina 1
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