Who doesn’t love a matchup between Stanley Cup contenders? The Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning have been playoff fixtures for the past few seasons, and should find themselves playing there again this season. These two talented squads will do battle on Thursday night.
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Tampa Bay is a solid -142 moneyline favorite at home, and the game’s total is set at O/U 6.5 goals. Dallas is the road underdog, priced at +120 on the moneyline.
Stars vs. Lightning prediction, preview
Dallas has had a mercurial start to the season. Three straight wins to open the year, then four consecutive losses, and three more wins after that. A lack of an offensive punch in the early going has been the concern so far, as the depth pieces have failed to produce. However, they’re still getting a strong showing from Mikko Rantanen, who leads the team with 12 points. Wyatt Johnston also continues to grow; the 22-year-old has already found the net six times.
Tampa Bay is having similar issues. The defense continues to look strong, while the offense scuffles outside the top guys. Nikita Kucherov looks like his Hart Trophy-winning self while Jake Guentzel and Anthony Cirelli bury goals at a rapid pace. It’s going to take some stepping up from players down the roster if they want to contend for another Cup, but the foundation is there.
Stars vs. Lightning pick, best bet
It’s tough to pick between these two teams. They have netminders capable of locking things down, defenses that make life tough, and A1 offensive talents who can take the game over. For my money, the value is on the under. I’m not sure why the total was set so high, and this game looks like a real grinder.
