An exciting NHL betting opportunity is coming up soon, as the Vegas Golden Knights (21-7-5) take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (15-13-5). The action is taking place at the Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Thursday, December 21 at 7:00 PM ET. The Lightning  are slightly favored to be victorious with a moneyline at -120.

 

The Golden Knights are coming off of a 6-3 defeat to the Carolina Hurricanes in their last battle. This defeat pushed them to 3-2 in the last five games, meaning they must get back on track soon.

 

Jack Eichel leads the Golden Knights in 37 points and 15 goals. Furthermore, Mark Stone leads with 23 assists. With this offensive output, it bodes well for their chances of winning. 

 

Their offense has been great, as they are getting 3.39 goals and 32.5 shot attempts per matchup. Their power play situations have been good as well, posting 28 goals and allowing just 16. This has made their power play percentage at 22.8.

 

The Golden Knights defense allows 2.61 goals and 29.5 shots from opponents. They have a slightly stronger penalty kill percentage over the Lightning at 83.2.

 

The Lightning have gone 3-2 over their last five games and are coming off a recent win. This was a 6-1 blowout over the St. Louis Blues, where they opened up the first period with three unanswered goals.

 

Nikita Kucherov is still one of the best offensive players in the league, and leads all major offensive categories for the Lightning. He currently ranks third in goals (22), tied for second in assists (32), and is first in points (54).

 

They feature an excellent offense that boasts 3.36 goals and 30.5 shots a game. Their power plays are also excellent, as they have scored 32 and allowed 20 with a power play percentage coming in at 30.2.

If the Lightning could improve their defense, they would be one of the best teams in the league.

 

Currently, they allow 3.49 goals and 30.9 shots from opposing teams per game. They also have a 79.6 penalty kill percentage.

 

MyBookie offers their odds for this NHL betting opportunity, with the Tampa Bay Lightning as slight favorites for success. Based on both teams recent performances, this should be a close game.

 

 

The Lightning have moments where they can outshoot anyone and they win games for that reason. Statistically, their averages show that they take on more goals than they produce. For this matchup, the Golden Knights have a solid opportunity to win on the road.