Bruins vs Lightning Prediction & Picks (Jan. 26): Which Team’s Streak Comes to an End Tonight?

Thursday, Jan. 26’s NHL schedule features an Atlantic Division showdown between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Although both teams are among the best in their division, it’s been Boston that’s won the two previous Bruins vs Lightning matchups this season.

Needless to say, it’ll be interesting to see if history repeats itself.

The trip heads to Tampa.

📍 Amalie Arena
⏰ 7 p.m. ET
🆚 @TBLightning
📺 @NESN
📻 @985TheSportsHub pic.twitter.com/hshvdIdzPV

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) January 26, 2023

The Bruins have been chugging along like a runaway train lately, winning their sixth straight game with a 4-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday. If that isn’t impressive enough, Boston has also won each of its last seven road games and hasn’t picked up a regulation loss on the road since Dec. 9.

Meanwhile, the Lightning responded to back-to-back road losses with a 4-2 home win against the Minnesota Wild two nights ago. Corey Perry found the back of the net twice in the win while Steven Stamkos’ 24th goal of the season also served as the game-winner.

Tonight’s Bruins vs Lightning matchup offers several betting opportunities that you won’t want to miss. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Boston Bruins vs Tampa Bay Lightning Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Boston Bruins (38-5-4, 16-4-1 Away) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (30-15-1, 18-4-1 Home)
• Venue & Location: Amalie Arena (Tampa, Florida)
• Date: Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Bruins vs Lightning TV Info: ESPN+

Bruins vs Lightning Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, Jan. 26 at 8:45 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Boston Bruins -1.5 (+198)
• Tampa Bay Lightning +1.5 (-250)

Over/Under

• Over 6 Goals (-110)
• Under 6 Goals (-110)

Moneyline

• Boston Bruins -110
• Tampa Bay Lightning -110

Bruins vs Lightning Betting Trends

• Boston is 7-0 straight up in its last seven road games.
• Tampa Bay is 10-0 straight up in its last 10 home games.
• The total has hit the under in six of Boston’s last seven road games played on Tuesday.
• The total has hit the under in six of Tampa Bay’s last eight games against the Eastern Conference.
• The total has hit the under in six of the last eight Boston-Tampa Bay matchups.

Bruins vs Lightning Prediction and Picks

Bruins vs Lightning Prediction: Bruins 3, Lightning 2

Bruins vs Lightning Best Bet: Bruins ML (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline) & Under 6 Goals (Best Value: -110 at BetOnline)

Tonight’s matchup is an example of when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object.

On one hand, you have the Bruins, who have been the NHL’s best road team this season. They’ve won each of their last seven away games, outscoring opponents 30-10 over that stretch. Their special teams have also been phenomenal during that run, scoring on 26.3% of power-play opportunities while operating at 95.2% on the penalty kill.

On the other hand, the Lightning haven’t lost a home game since Dec. 6, winning each of the following 10 without much issue. In addition to averaging a whopping 4.4 goals per game in that span, Tampa Bay has also had special teams success, boasting a 37.9 PP% and a 92.6 PK%.

Having said that, the Bruins have already proven that they can handle the pressure that comes from playing at Amalie Arena. Boston has won five of its last seven trips to Tampa, which includes a 5-3 victory over the Lightning back in November.

In fact, the Bruins have scored five goals in two of their last three road games against the Lightning, resulting in victories both times. Performances like that have prevented Tampa Bay from beating Boston on home ice in nearly three years.

Daily Faceoff lists Andrei Vasilevskiy as Tampa Bay’s starting goalie for this Bruins vs Lightning showdown. While Vasilevskiy is among the world’s best goaltenders, he’s struggled with Boston lately, going 0-4-1 with a 3.22 goals-against average (GAA) and .899 save percentage (SV%) in his last five starts against the Bruins.

On the flip side, Jeremy Swayman is listed as the Bruins’ starter. It’s a small sample size, but the Anchorage, Alaska native has had success against the Lightning, tallying a 2-0-1 record with a 1.98 GAA and .922 SV% in three starts.

Furthermore, Swayman is 7-0-2 in his last 10 appearances this season, having not lost in regulation in over two months.

As great as the Lightning have been, the Bruins have nearly been flawless for quite some time. Besides, Boston already has two wins against Tampa Bay this season, so adding a third to that total isn’t out of the question.

It’s going to be a hard-fought battle, which is why I'm siding with the Bruins on the moneyline at -110 odds as opposed to the spread. I also recommend backing the total finishing under six goals tonight.

As mentioned before, the under is 6-2 in the last eight Bruins vs Lightning meetings. Those games saw an average of 5.1 goals scored, finishing with fewer than six in all but two of those contests.

With the under also being 6-1 in the Bruins last seven Thursday games and 4-1 in the Lightning’s last five against the Atlantic Division, I’m even more convinced that taking the under is the right call.

Other Bruins vs Lightning Resources

• Bruins vs Lightning Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats

Other NHL Articles on Betting News (Jan. 26)

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