The Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers meet Sunday in Game 1 East First Round NHL Playoffs action at the Amerant Bank Arena. Here’s a Lightning vs Panthers prediction.

Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Preview

The Tampa Bay Lightning recently beat the Maple Leafs, while losing to the Senators, Capitals, and Sabres. The Tampa Bay Lightning are averaging 3.51 goals per game and are scoring on 28.6 percent of their power play opportunities. Brayden Point leads Tampa Bay with 46 goals, Nikita Kucherov has 100 assists and Steven Stamkos has 262 shots on goal. Defensively, the Tampa Bay Lightning are allowing 3.26 goals per game and are killing 83.3 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Jonas Johansson has given up 83 goals on 752 shots faced, while Andrei Vasilevskiy has allowed 148 goals on 1,477 shots.

Florida Panthers Betting Preview

The Florida Panthers recently beat the Senators, Blue Jackets, Sabres and Maple Leafs. The Florida Panthers are averaging 3.23 goals per game and are scoring on 23.5 percent of their power play opportunities. Sam Reinhart leads Florida with 57 goals, Matthew Tkachuk has 62 assists and Carter Verhaeghe has 246 shots on goal. Defensively, the Florida Panthers are allowing 2.41 goals per game and are killing 82.5 percent of their opponent’s power plays. Sergei Bobrovsky has allowed 135 goals on 1,584 shots faced, while Anthony Stolarz has given up 51 goals on 684 shots.

Florida Panthers Team Facts

• The underdogs have won each of the last six games between the Lightning and Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
• The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the last six games between the Lightning and Panthers at Amerant Bank Arena.
• The ‘Over 1.5 Goals Period 1′ market has hit in each of the Panthers’ last seven games against Atlantic Division opponents.
• The Panthers have won the third period in eight of their last nine day games.

Tampa Bay Lightning Team Facts

• The underdogs have won each of the Lightning’s last six games at Amerant Bank Arena.
• The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the Lightning’s last six games at Amerant Bank Arena.
• The ‘Over 2.5 Goals Period 1’ market has hit in three of the Lightning’s last four games.
• The Lightning have won the third period in each of their last seven day games following a win.

Lightning vs Panthers prediction

This is going to be a physical, nasty series, as the Lightning and Panthers don’t like each other and fight a lot when they clash. It’s going to be ugly and must watch. With that said, the Panthers are the more talented team, and they’ve won 4 of the last 5 games against the Lightning. Three of those 4 wins were complete blowouts. The Panthers are great on their home ice and I believe they’re going to set the tone early. I’ll lay the reasonable price with the Panthers at home.