Lightning vs. Hurricanes NHL Predictions, Picks and Odds - Dec. 20

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes -- both coming off defeats in their last game -- will face each other on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET, at Benchmark International Arena in Tampa. The bookmakers see this as a close one, with the Lightning -120 to win on the moneyline, and the Hurricanes at +100.

Tampa Bay fell in a 2-1 loss at home its last time out on Dec. 18 against the Los Angeles Kings. Three Lightning skaters recorded one point each, including Anthony Cirelli (one assist) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (one goal).

Carolina lost on the road 4-3 to the Florida Panthers on Dec. 19 in its last game, falling 2-1 in a shootout. Three Hurricanes players had two points each in that matchup, including Seth Jarvis (two assists) and Andrei Svechnikov (two assists).

Before watching this matchup, here's a look at which team we pick to bring home the victory in Saturday's action on the ice.

Lightning vs. Hurricanes Predictions & Pick

For insights on the upcoming game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes, computer-derived moneyline, over/under, and score predictions are below, based on data from Dunkel Index.

• Prediction: Lightning 2 - Hurricanes 1
• Pick OU: Under 5.5 (Dunkel projecting 3.08 goals)
  

Pick with the best in the business! Get free picks for every game, every week at the Dunkel Index.

Lightning vs. Hurricanes Moneylines

Grab a peek below at the most recent moneylines for the Lightning-Hurricanes game.

• Favorite: Lightning (-120)
• Underdog: Hurricanes (+100)

Lightning Betting Insights

• The Lightning have gone 13-13 this season when listed as a moneyline favorite.
• Tampa Bay is 12-13 (winning 48.0% of its games) when playing with moneyline odds of -120 or shorter.
• Based on the moneyline in this matchup, the Lightning's implied win probability is 54.5%.
• Tampa Bay's 34 matches this season have finished above this game's total of 5.5 goals 17 times.

Hurricanes Betting Insights

• The Hurricanes have been an underdog twice so far this season, and went 1-1 in those games.
• Carolina has played as an underdog on the moneyline of +100 or longer two times this season, and split 1-1.
• The moneyline set in this contest implies a 50.0% chance of victory for the Hurricanes.
• Carolina's games this season have had more than 5.5 goals 20 of 34 times.

Lightning Key Stats

• Tampa Bay's 107 total goals (3.2 per game) rank 12th in the league.
• The Lightning have given up 89 total goals (2.6 per game), the fifth-fewest in league action.
• Its goal differential (+18) makes the team fourth-best in the league.
• The 18 power-play goals the Lightning have put up this season (on 109 power-play chances) rank 19th in the NHL.
• Tampa Bay has the league's 24th-ranked power-play conversion rate (16.51%).
• The two shorthanded goals the Lightning have scored this season rank 15th among NHL squads.
• Tampa Bay has the league's second-best penalty-kill percentage (85.19%).
• Tampa Bay wins 46.4% of its faceoffs to rank 28th in the NHL.
• The Lightning connect on 11.3% of their shots (ninth in the league).

Hurricanes Key Stats

• Carolina is eighth in the league in scoring (111 goals, 3.3 per game).
• The Hurricanes' total of 93 goals conceded (2.7 per game) is seventh in the league.
• With a goal differential of +18, the team is fourth-best in the league in that category.
• The Hurricanes have 17 power-play goals (23rd in NHL) on 106 chances.
• Carolina's power-play percentage (16.04) ranks the team 25th in the league.
• In terms of shorthanded goals, the Hurricanes have four.
• At 81.05%, Carolina has the 16th-ranked penalty-kill percentage in the league.
• Carolina is 21st in faceoff win percentage in the NHL (49.4%).
• The 9.9% shooting percentage of the Hurricanes is 25th in the league.