The Washington Capitals are 8-0-2 in their last 10 games against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Capitals will try to snap out of their current slump with a win at home over the Lightning this Tuesday night.
Lightning vs. Capitals 2018 odds: Tampa Bay slight betting favorite over Washington
Two of the top teams in the East clash as the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night, with the betting line tight at the sportsbooks.
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Washington is a +105 home underdog at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. On the moneyline, the Capitals are 13-4 in their last 17 games against Tampa Bay.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals
When: Tuesday, Feb. 20, 7 p.m. ET
Where: Capitol One Arena, Washington, D.C.
Betting Line / Total: Washington +105 / 5.5 Goals
Washington Capitals
The Capitals appeared to be running away with the Metropolitan division, but a recent 8-1-1 surge from the Pittsburgh Penguins knocked the Capitals out of the top spot for the first time since mid-December.
Washington, though, bounced back from a 7-1 road loss to the Chicago Blackhawks and regained its division lead with a 3-2 road win over the Buffalo Sabres on Monday afternoon. This figures to be a close race for the top spot down the stretch, though the Capitals will need to do better than their recent run of 4-3-2 to stave off the red-hot Penguins.
Washington’s game against Tampa Bay will be the team’s third game in four nights and its second of a back-to-back. The Capitals are 4-2 in their last six games on the second night of a back-to-back after going 0-5 in their previous five.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay has lost three of its last four games, falling to 10-9-1 over its last 20. On the surface this isn’t a particularly alarming stretch, but for a team that went 29-8-2 over its first 39 games, this certainly qualifies as a slump. The Lightning continue to score at a high rate and have the best offense in the NHL, averaging 3.5 goals per game, but things have been slipping on the defensive side of the ice.
Tuesday’s total is set at 5.5 goals. The OVER is 7-1 in the Lightning’s last eight games according to the OddsShark NHL Database.
Heading into Tuesday’s action, Washington and Tampa Bay each hold a one-point lead in their respective divisions. With March rapidly approaching, both of these teams will need to find their playoff gear soon if they hope to fend off their divisional foes for home ice in the first two rounds.
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