Sean Maloney
Two of the hottest teams in the NHL clash on Tuesday night in a potential preview of this season’s Stanley Cup Final, as the Vegas Golden Knights host the Tampa Bay Lightning as -135 home favorites. The Golden Knights return home after completing the sweep of a four-game road trip with Sunday’s victory over the New York Islanders. The Lightning open a two-game road trip in in Vegas on a steady 7-1-0 run, capped by last Thursday’s narrow 2-1 victory over the visiting Ottawa Senators.
MyTopSportsbooks takes a look at all the odds and trends ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup at T-Mobile Arena. Sports bettors getting in on NHL betting action for the first time should check out our Stanley Cup betting guide, and learn about NHL hockey betting sites.
| NHL Odds |  |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +115 |
| Vegas Golden Knights | -135 |
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights
Tuesday, December 21, 10:00 pm ET
T-Mobile Arena
Team Records
Lightning: 19-6-4, 42 points (T-1st place, Atlantic Division)
Golden Knights: 20-11-0 (1st place, Pacific Division)
Lightning vs Golden Knights Betting Trends
Tuesday night’s matchup marks the first meeting between these two clubs since February 2020. The Golden Knights have held the historical edge in head-to-head action against Tampa Bay, posting wins in four of six all-time meetings, capped by a 5-3 victory in Vegas in their most recent clash 22 months ago. That also marked the Golden Knights’ second victory in three home dates with Tampa Bay, with the OVER paying out in each of those wins.
Tampa Bay Lightning News & Notes
The Lightning have reclaimed their familiar position near the top of the NHL standings, and the top of the Stanley Cup odds since overcoming a shaky start. After enjoying a little downtime in the wake of their second straight Stanley Cup win this past July, the Lightning stumbled to a middling 2-3-1 start. However, they have been a model of consistency since, posting consecutive losses just once during a torrid 17-3-3 run that currently leaves them knotted with Toronto atop the Atlantic Division standings.
Getting off to a slow start to the season isn’t uncommon whenever you are coming off of a long playoff run. For the Tampa Bay Lightning, the last two seasons have been unlike any other, as they won back-to-back Stanley Cups in less than a calendar year.https://t.co/87lqSJa5vE
— Shop TBL Hockey (@ShopTBLHockey) October 15, 2021
While the Lightning have regularly padded the win column, they kept things a little too close for comfort on last week’s two-game homestand, eking out narrow one-goal wins over the Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators. Scoring has also come at a premium of late, with Tampa Bay shooters potting just five total goals over their past three outings. However, the club has scored an average of 3.60 goals per game during a 4-1-0 run on the road.
Can’t stop the Captain. 😤@RealStamkos91 is your @TGHCares Player of the Week!https://t.co/tWU4wi7KDT
— Tampa Sleigh Lightning 🎄 (@TBLightning) December 13, 2021
Team captain Steven Stamkos has flashed vintage form while leading the Lightning attack with a team-high 13 goals and 34 points. But it has been veteran Ondrej Palat that has produced consistently, tallying four total goals over the team’s past five road contests.
Vegas Golden Knights News & Notes
The Golden Knights will be aiming to extend their longest win streak of the season to six games when they hit the ice for Tuesday’s contest. The club has steadily gained momentum since struggling through early-season injuries to Max Pacioretty and Mark Stone. The club currently enjoys a 7-1-0 run that leaves them tied with the surprising Anaheim Ducks atop the Pacific Division standings.
What a difference six weeks makes. 🤷#VegasBorn #NHL pic.twitter.com/xIxqAbIAoR
— Gold and Steel (@GoldandSteelVGK) December 20, 2021
The Vegas offense has been firing on all cylinders during the club’s hot streak. The Golden Knights have averaged an impressive 4.50 goals per game over their past 10 contests. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits the Golden Knights have enjoyed has been their ability so far to avoid an outbreak of Covid-19 despite seeing each of their past four games come against teams dealing with outbreaks.
pic.twitter.com/bZySoaAzNu what a road trip. Thanks so much @NYIslanders and all fans. I love you guys and will forever be in my heart ❤️ finally got to come back and see you guys. 🐼
— Robin Lehner (@RobinLehner) December 19, 2021
The continued steady play of netminder Robin Lehner has also given this team a chance to win every night. Lehner has earned the win in five of his past six starts and is coming off an emotional victory over his former teammates in Sunday’s clash with the New York Islanders.
Best Bet: Golden Knights (-135)
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