NHL Preview: Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

The Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-1) and Pittsburgh Penguins (7-10-3) will showcase their talents against one another on Tuesday, November 19 at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Lightning are favored on the road with a moneyline at -145.

Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Preview

The Lightning have won their last two games and are aiming to battle the Penguins to move onto the next fight. Their latest win was a 4-0 shutout over the New Jersey Devils. The game was not secure until the Lightning continued to score three goals in the crucial final period.

Andrea Vasilevskiy was perfect with his 29 saves, while Victor Hedman led with a goal and an assist. Jake Guentzel also had two assists to help push along that offense when they needed everyone to do better at the start.

The Lightning are currently averaging 3.56 goals while taking 26.9 shots to get there. On defense, they are allowing opponents to average 2.81 goals and 28.1 shots a game. This differential will be key in this matchup if they want to succeed.

Their offense has improved over their last few games. In their last two victories, the Lightning have scored four goals each time to claim the win.

Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Preview

The Penguins finally broke their two game losing skid with a recent 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. This game went to a shootout, in which Evgeni Malkin landed the winning goal.

Owen Pickering had an assist alongside Malkin to keep the offense moving along. The problem moving forward is that the Penguins are not that strong on offense, at least consistently.

The Penguins are averaging 2.70 goals a game and are taking 31.3 shots. On defense they are even worse, as they are giving up 3.90 goals and 32.8 shots from opposing teams. At this rate, they could lose by several goals if they are not in check on either side of the game.

In their last five games, the Penguins only have two victories with both of those matchups reaching four goals scored. In their three losses during the same stretch, they have failed to score over two goals per game. If they can find a way to get on the board early, they have a solid chance at winning.

Odds, Series Trends, and Free Pick

The best NHL betting odds for the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins matchup can be found with MyBookie. Currently, they are 1.5-point favorites which shows this could be a close game.

The Lightning are much more appealing despite being on the road. The Penguins have too many issues on both offense and defense to contend with the Lightning. Look for the Lightning to win this battle.

Final Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -145