Lightning vs Ducks

The Lightning arrive on a three-game win streak and an impressive 11-4-3 road mark, with their core of Kucherov, Point, Guentzel, Hedman and Vasilevskiy all active on the current ESPN roster, facing a Ducks team that has dropped five of its last six despite also being essentially at full strength. Tampa already edged Anaheim 4-3 in October behind multi-goal nights from Guentzel and Cirelli, underlining how their high-end finishers can overwhelm a Ducks group that leans heavily on Carlsson, Terry and Gauthier but has struggled to close games during this recent skid. With both clubs firmly in the playoff chase and every point magnified as they near the midpoint of the season, the combination of Tampa’s superior goal differential, recent form, and proven head-to-head edge justifies laying -145 on the road, though the price keeps this in B+ territory rather than an all-out hammer. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 09:26. Sources. ([reuters.com](https://www.reuters.com/sports/nhl/lightning-down-panthers-penalty-filled-game--flm-2025-12-28/?utm_source=openai))

This matchup sets up as another high-event tilt: Anaheim has been playing wide-open hockey with a top-tier offense and bottom-of-the-league defense by goals for and against, while Tampa’s attack remains driven by elite high-danger creation from Kucherov, Guentzel and Point and has already produced a 4-3 win over the Ducks this season. Recent Ducks games, including a 5-4 loss to San Jose and several lopsided defeats on this skid, show that even when Lukas Dostal or Peter Mrazek plays reasonably well, Anaheim’s defensive structure and penalty kill can’t consistently support them, and that’s a serious problem against a Lightning power play and rush game that punishes every mistake. With both rosters largely healthy and each team firmly invested in banking points for the playoff race rather than sitting on a lead, the tempo and shot quality on both sides make Over 6.5 at -110 a solid but not elite value, worthy of a B grade given some respect for Vasilevskiy’s ceiling if he steals a quieter game. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 09:26. Sources. ([nhl.com](https://www.nhl.com/news/tampa-bay-lightning-nhl-edge-stats-for-2025-26-season-32-in-32?utm_source=openai))

On the puckline, the recent history between these clubs and Anaheim’s home profile point more toward taking the goal and a half with the Ducks rather than laying it with Tampa: both meetings in 2025 have finished as one-goal Lightning wins (4-3 in regulation in October and 4-3 in a shootout last January), and the Ducks are a respectable 12-7-0 at Honda Center even while their overall form has dipped. With both teams skating their primary cores from the current ESPN rosters and no major injuries skewing the matchup, Anaheim’s top six of Carlsson, Terry, Gauthier and McTavish has enough scoring to trade chances and keep this within a single goal even if the more structured, in-form Lightning grab the two points outright. The downside is the heavy -205 juice, which caps the value at a B-, but given Anaheim’s pattern of tight games against Tampa and their stronger home splits, Ducks +1.5 is the side that better balances likelihood and risk. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 31/12/2025 09:26. Sources. ([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/team/roster/_/name/ana/anaheim-ducks?utm_source=openai))