Lightning vs Blackhawks Prediction, Odds & Picks Tonight | NHL on ESPN (Nov. 16): Tampa Ends Skid

The 2023-24 NHL season continues with another strong slate on Thursday, Nov. 16. One matchup features two teams that could use a win as the Chicago Blackhawks host the Tampa Bay Lightning for an 8 p.m. ET showdown at the United Center.

Steve Levy, analyst Ray Ferraro & reporter Emily Kaplan will call Lightning-#Blackhawks on Thursday night on ESPN+ & Hulu.

— Jeff Agrest #🟦 (@JeffAgrest) November 13, 2023

The Lightning — who are supposed to be Stanley Cup contenders — don’t look like their usual selves, heading into tonight’s game following a 5-0 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Meanwhile, the Blackhawks could use a bounce-back win after Sunday’s 4-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.

Bovada’s latest Stanley Cup odds aren’t exactly on either team’s side at the moment. Tampa Bay currently sits at +2000 (T-No. 12) while Chicago is available at a distant +12500 odds (T-No. 29).

Keep scrolling to find out my Lightning vs Blackhawks prediction, as well as the latest NHL odds, betting trends, and best bets you can make tonight.

Lightning vs Blackhawks Tonight (Nov. 16)

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning (6-6-4, 2-4-2 Away) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (5-8-0, 1-3-0 Home)
• Venue & Location: United Center (Chicago, IL)
• Date: Thursday, Nov. 16, 2023
• Game Time: 8 p.m. Eastern Time
• Lightning vs. Blackhawks TV Info: ESPN+, Hulu

Lightning vs Blackhawks Odds

NHL game odds courtesy of Bovada as of Thursday, Nov. 16 at 11:10 p.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Lightning vs Blackhawks Spread

• Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+135)
• Chicago Blackhawks +1.5 (-160)

Lightning vs Blackhawks Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (-128)
• Under 6.5 Goals (+107)

Lightning vs Blackhawks Moneyline

• Tampa Bay Lightning (-180)
• Chicago Blackhawks (+150)

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Lightning vs Blackhawks Betting Trends

• Tampa Bay is 9-1 straight up in its last 10 road games vs. Chicago.
• Chicago is 1-9 straight up in its last 10 home games.
• The total has hit the Over in four of Tampa Bay’s last six games.
• The total has hit the Over in five of Chicago’s last six games.
• The total has hit the Over in six of the last 10 Tampa Bay-Chicago matchups.

Lightning vs Blackhawks Prediction & Pick (Nov. 16)

The Lightning might be the odds-on favorite tonight, but it sure doesn’t feel that way. After all, they enter tonight’s contest on a three-game losing streak, having been outscored 14-3 over that stretch — including back-to-back shutout losses in their last two outings.

Tampa Bay’s losing ways all began with a 5-3 loss to, ironically, Chicago exactly one week ago. Calder Trophy favorite Connor Bedard stole the show that night, finishing with two goals and two assists for the first four-point night of his career.

Bedard is now up to nine goals and four assists in his first 13 games, proving that he’s more than capable of living up to the hype.

Lackluster special teams performances have played a role in the Lightning’s losing ways. They’re only 1-for-9 (11.1%) on the power play while killing just 8-of-10 penalties (80.0%) over the last three games. Time will tell if those trends change tonight.

Nevertheless, it isn’t all bad for Jon Cooper’s team. The Lightning have won nine of their last 10 road games against the Blackhawks, having won the last four in a row and not losing at the United Center since March 5, 2021.

In fact, the Blackhawks have been awful in general at home dating back to the 2022-23 campaign. A 1-8-1 record in their last 10 home games is nothing to write home about, especially when they lost by multiple goals eight times over that stretch.

A track record like that doesn’t exactly inspire confidence, regardless of how the visitors are playing at the moment.

The Lightning are better than their recent record implies, which is why I’m taking them to get some revenge with a win. The Blackhawks, clearly, don’t have any sort of advantage at home, so look for a strong start to help the Bolts remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Let’s also take the Over on the 6.5-goal total. After all, the Over is 4-2 in the last six meetings between the Lightning and Blackhawks, seeing an average of 7.3 goals scored.

When it comes to this season, the Over is 4-2 in Tampa Bay’s last six games, as well as 5-1 in Chicago’s last half-dozen. With these teams combining for eight goals exactly one week ago, the Over looks as juicy as ever.

Lightning vs Blackhawks Prediction: TB wins

Best Bet: o6.5 Total Goals (-128 on Bovada)

Lightning vs Blackhawks Best Player Prop

When it comes to the best Lightning vs. Blackhawks player prop, how can it not be an anytime goal by Connor Bedard?

Again, the 18-year-old phenom is already clicking at a 0.7 goal-per-game pace. Even more impressive is the fact that he’s found the back of the net seven times in his last six games, only being held goalless twice during that hot streak.

That includes the aforementioned two goals against Tampa Bay.

IT'S A 2-GOAL, 3-POINT PERIOD FOR CONNOR BEDARD pic.twitter.com/KQenTU8qvR

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) November 10, 2023

With the Lightning allowing four-plus goals in seven of their last eight outings, Bedard has a great opportunity to add to his already impressive goal total.

Bet: Connor Bedard Anytime Goalscorer (+140 on Bovada)

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