The Tampa Bay Lightning (29-15-4) and Dallas Stars (27-17-4) will lock horns at American Airlines Center at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Lightning-Stars sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Lightning at Stars: Projected starting goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy vs. Ben Bishop
The All-Star Vasilevskiy entered the All-Star break on a roll, winning his previous 10 starts. Overall, he is 24-9-2 with a 2.54 goals against average and .917 save percentage, as he has regained his Vezina Trophy winning form after a sluggish start to the season. He allowed four goals on just 20 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss in the first meeting with the Stars at Amalie Arena back on Dec. 19. After working in the All-Star Skills Competition and round-robin tournament, it wouldn’t be shocking to see backup Curtis McElhinney make the start. He is 5-6-2 with a 3.10 GAA and .902 SV% in 13 appearances.
Bishop is 16-10-3 with a 2.28 GAA and .927 SV% in 31 starts and 32 appearances overall. The former Lightning backstop hasn’t faced his old organization this season. He is 0-1-1 with a 5.39 GAA and .792 SV% in two appearances vs. the Stars since leaving for Dallas to start the 2017-18 season.
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Lightning at Stars: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 8:10 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Lightning 4, Stars 2
Moneyline (ML)
The LIGHTNING (- 139) are moderate road favorites out of the break, with the Stars (+115) short ‘dogs at home. That’s likely because the Lightning have been on a roll lately, going 5-0 in the past five against winning teams, 4-1 in the past five against Western Conference foes and 5-1 in the past six meetings against Dallas. The Lightning are also 5-2 in their past seven trips to the Metroplex.
A $10 bet on the Lightning to win returns a profit of $7.20, while a $10 wager on the Stars results in a profit of $11.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The LIGHTNING (- 1.5, +195) represent a pretty solid value, as you can double up with a two-goal win. However, keep in mind that the Stars (+1.5, -239) are the No. 1 defensive team in the NHL, allowing just 2.5 goals per game. They’re also ninth on the penalty kill at 82.4 percent, so tread lightly.
Over/Under (O/U)
The total (5.5) is risky business, as there is some uncertainty with Tampa Bay’s starting netminder, so be careful. If McElhinney gets the nod, it’s a different ball game. If Vasilevskiy is in between the pipes, this will be a low-scoring battle. The Under is 4-1 in Tampa’s past five road games, and 8-3 in the past 11 as a road favorite. The Under is 33-14-2 in the past 51 at home for Dallas, and a perfect 4-0 in their past four against teams with a winning percentage over .600.
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