For the upcoming battle between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday at 5:00 PM ET, we have outlined the best bets to consider, along with our picks and predictions, in the piece below.

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Panthers vs. Lightning Picks

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Total Pick

Pick OU: Over 6.5 (model projecting 6.8 goals)

• This season, Florida games have gone over this one’s 6.5-goal over/under 18 times.
• So far this season, 14 games Tampa Bay has played finished with more than 6.5 goals.
• The total for this game (6.5) is 1.0 less than the combined scoring averages for the Panthers (3.53) and Lightning (4).
• These two teams allow a combined 6.0 goals per game, 0.6 less than this one’s over/under.

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Moneyline Pick

Panthers Moneyline: -110

• The Panthers have won 57.7% of their games when they’ve been a moneyline favorite this season (15-11).
• When it has played with moneyline odds of -110 or shorter, Florida is 15-11 (winning 57.7% of the time).
• The implied moneyline probability for this game says the Panthers have a 52.4% chance to win.

Lightning Moneyline: -109

• Tampa Bay has claimed an upset victory four times when playing as the underdog on the moneyline this season (in 10 games as the underdog).
• The Lightning have four victories in games with moneyline odds of -109 or longer (in 10 chances).
• Tampa Bay’s implied probability to win is 52.2% based on the moneyline odds.

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Score Prediction

Prediction:
Tampa Bay 4, Florida 2

Panthers Points Leaders

• Sam Reinhart is one of Florida’s top contributors this season with 43 points. He has averaged 0.6 goals per game, shooting 23.3%.
• Having scored 13 goals and adding 21 assists, Matthew Tkachuk is a top contributor for Florida through 29 games.
• With 32 points through 24 games (10 goals and 22 assists), Aleksander Barkov Jr. has been an important part of Florida’s offense this season.
• As Florida’s top goalie, Sergei Bobrovsky has recorded 16 wins and 6 losses this season while allowing 64 goals with 549 saves.

Lightning Points Leaders

• Nikita Kucherov is a top offensive contributor for his team with 48 points (1.6 per game). He has scored 14 goals and 34 assists in 28 games (playing 19:52 per game).
• Brayden Point is a top contributor for Tampa Bay, with 38 total points this season. He has netted 21 goals and provided 17 assists in 26 contests.
• Tampa Bay’s Brandon Hagel has 37 points, courtesy of 15 goals (third on team) and 22 assists (second).
• Andrei Vasilevskiy has a .911 save percentage (17th in the league), with 593 total saves, while allowing 58 goals (2.4 goals against average). He has put together a 15-9-1 record between the posts for Tampa Bay this season.

Panthers’ Schedule

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Lightning’s Schedule

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Florida vs. Tampa Bay Game Info

• Date: Sunday, December 22, 2024
• Time: 5:00 PM ET
• How to watch on TV: ESPN+
• Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
• Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
• Location: Tampa, Florida
• Venue: Amalie Arena

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