Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning Predictions, Picks & Betting Odds 12/12/19

Published by John Ford December 12, 2019 Categorie(s): Boston Bruins, Hockey, NHL, Sports Betting, Tampa Bay Lightning

Tonight, we’ll see a big Atlantic Division clash in the NHL with the Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning. Boston comes into this game at the top of the division but on a four-game losing streak that has seen them give up points to a varying set of teams, including the Washington Capitals and the Ottawa Senators. They’ll be looking to get back in winning shape after last night’s unfortunate loss in Washington in what will be their third game on the road.

The Tampa Bay Lightning come into the game on a one-game winning streak. Their last game against the Florida Panthers saw them get a narrow 2-1 victory in a game that was really decided by their goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy. The team has not been living up to expectations following a season in which they led the league. At this point, they’ve dropped as many games as they have won, and this really may be another potential loss. It all seems up in the air here.

Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning Predictions

Before we get into our predictions for this matchup, here are some stats about the Lightning and Bruins that we really think bettors should keep in mind when making their decision:

The Boston Bruins are currently first in the Atlantic division and second overall with a record of 20-6-6. They are on a bad streak though, with their last game being their fourth straight loss. This will be their third game in a row on the road, with their away record being 8-5-1. Their last ten has seen the team go 6-3-1.
Tuukka Rask is projected to be in goal tonight and the Bruins have gone 13-3-3 with him on the ice. So far in this season, he has managed to post a goals against average of 2.19, a save percentage of .927, and two shutouts. His last game was against the Senators in which he allowed five goals.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently ranked sixth in the Atlantic Division and 21^st overall with a record of 15-11-3. While the team did start the season terribly, they seemed to be picking up for a while although their form has pretty evened out. Their home record even suggests this at 7-6-1 as does their record for their last 10 games, which sits at 5-4-1.
Andrei Vasilevskiy is projected to be starting goaltender for Tampa Bay tonight. So far this year, the team has 12-8-1 with him on the ice. With regards to stats, he has recorded a goals against average of 2.82 and a save percentage of .910. He had a good game against the Panthers and will be looking to continue this form tonight.
Both teams are very strong offensively, but Tampa Bay just beats out Boston in a few areas. The Lightning are ranked second in the league for goals and power play percentage, and third for shooting percentage. In terms of defense, Boston is the clear winner, ranking fourth for average goals allowed, eighth for penalty kill percentage, and tenth for shots on goal allowed.

With all this said, here are our predictions for Boston Bruins at Tampa Bay Lightning:

Moneyline – we think Boston is going to take this one. Although this will be their third straight game on the road, they are due for a win. In addition to this, Tampa Bay has been extremely inconsistent this season. They really can’t decide whether they want to be a good team or a bad one, which is makes it a bit easier for more consistent teams to get wins over them.

Kim’s NHL Prediction Record so far: 25-27