Before the puck drops at 10:30 PM ET in Thursday’s contest between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the San Jose Sharks, here are the best bets you should be thinking about, whether you’re looking to place a single wager or have your sights set on putting together a parlay.

Sign up for ESPN+ today to watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more.

Lightning vs. Sharks Picks

Bet on this or any NHL matchup at BetMGM.

Total Pick

Pick OU: Push (model projecting 6.5 goals)

• Tampa Bay and its opponent have combined to outscore Thursday’s total (6.5 goals) 16 times this season.
• A total of 18 of San Jose’s games have finished with more than 6.5 goals this season.
• These two teams combine for 6.6 goals per game, 0.07 more than the total for this contest.
• The 6.4 goals per game these two teams concede are 0.1 less than the total set for this contest.

Bet on the total at BetMGM today!

Moneyline Pick

Lightning Moneyline: -262

• The Lightning are 15-7 this season when favored on the moneyline.
• Tampa Bay has been a moneyline favorite of -262 or shorter twice this season, and won both.
• The implied moneyline probability for this game says the Lightning have a 72.4% chance to win.

Sharks Moneyline: +213

• San Jose has claimed an upset victory 11 times when playing as the underdog on the moneyline this season (in 40 games as the underdog).
• The Sharks have four victories in games with moneyline odds of +213 or longer (in 19 chances).
• San Jose has a 31.9% implied probability to win this game.

Place your moneyline bet at BetMGM now!

Score Prediction

Prediction:
Tampa Bay 4, San Jose 3

Lightning Points Leaders

• One of Tampa Bay’s top offensive options this season is Nikita Kucherov, who has recorded 53 points in 32 games.
• Brayden Point is another of Tampa Bay’s major contributors currently with 43 total points (23 goals and 20 assists) to his name.
• Tampa Bay’s scoring effort is aided by Brandon Hagel’s 43 points. He’s contributed 24 assists.
• Across 27 games played, Andrei Vasilevskiy has a goaltending record of 16-10-1. During those games, he’s allowed 63 goals while recording 656 saves.

Sharks Points Leaders

• Mikael Granlund has totaled 11 goals (0.3 per game) and collected 23 assists (0.6 per game), averaging 2.5 shots per game and shooting 10.9%. That makes him among the leaders for San Jose with 34 total points (0.9 per game).
• San Jose’s William Eklund has racked up 27 total points (0.7 per game), with seven goals and 20 assists.
• San Jose’s Macklin Celebrini has 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) this season.
• Alexandar Georgiev has a 9-11-0 record this season, with an .873 save percentage (65th in the league). In 23 games, he has 503 saves, and has conceded 73 goals (3.6 goals against average).

Lightning’s Schedule

Looking for officially licensed NHL gear? Fanatics has jerseys, hats, apparel, memorabilia, trading cards, collectibles and more.

Sharks’ Schedule

Watch 1,000+ out-of-market NHL games, ESPN+ Hockey Night & more streaming all season on ESPN+.

Tampa Bay vs. San Jose Game Info

• Date: Thursday, January 2, 2025
• Time: 10:30 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: San Jose, California
• Venue: SAP Center at San Jose

Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER.