NHL betting preview (April 3): Lightning vs. Senators odds
Join Daily Faceoff’s Andy MacNeil as he handicaps Thursday’s NHL Atlantic Division matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ottawa Senators.
Lightning vs. Senators Odds
- Tampa Bay Lightning Moneyline: -145
- Ottawa Senators Moneyline: +120
- Puck Line: Lightning -1.5 (+165), Senators +1.5 (-200)
- Game Total: 5.5 (Over -105, Under -115)
Game odds via Sports Interaction.
Handicapping the Lightning (44-30 SU, 40-34 ATS, 33-35-6 O/U)
The Tampa Bay Lightning aim for their fifth straight win as they continue their four-game road trip in Ottawa on Thursday. They trail Toronto by three points for the Atlantic Division lead with a game in hand.
If the playoffs began today, Tampa Bay would face Florida in the first round, but home-ice advantage remains uncertain with just one point between them. The Lightning hold a nine-point lead over the Senators, who sit in the East’s first wild-card spot.
Tampa Bay is 7-2-1 in its last 10 games and 2-1 against Ottawa this season. They lost the first meeting on Oct. 19 in Ottawa, 5-4, but won back-to-back home games on Feb. 4 and Feb. 6, 4-3 and 5-1.
The Lightning lead the league in goals per 60 minutes (3.57) and rank fifth in goals against per 60, thanks in part to Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Big Cat sits fifth in save percentage (.921) and fourth in goals saved above expected, per Evolving Hockey.
Handicapping the Senators (39-35 SU, 30-44 ATS, 30-36-8 O/U)
Ottawa looks to snap a two-game skid after opening its four-game homestand with a 5-2 loss to Buffalo. The schedule doesn’t get easier, with matchups against Tampa Bay, Florida, and Columbus before its final road game of the season.
The Senators were hot early in March, winning seven of eight from March 1-15, but they’ve dropped five of eight since. As a result, just five points separate them from Montreal in the Eastern Conference standings.
Since March 1, Ottawa ranks 13th in expected goals and 17th in shot attempts at five-on-five, per Evolving Hockey. However, their scoring rates lag behind Tampa Bay’s, sitting 12th in goals and 19th in goals against (all situations) per 60 minutes over the last month.
Jake Sanderson leads the Senators with 14 points in his last 16 games, while Brady Tkachuk has eight goals in his last 15, but he will remain out on Thursday. Trade deadline acquisition Dylan Cozens has also made an impact, ranking second on the team in scoring with nine points (3G, 6A) in 13 games.
Best bets for Lightning vs. Senators
- Nikita Kucherov Over 1.5 Points (+125) at Sports Interaction
Nikita Kucherov is tied with Nathan MacKinnon for the league lead in points (111). The two-time Art Ross Trophy winner has been dominant over his last nine games, tallying five goals and 14 assists—eight points more than any other player in that span. He enters Thursday’s game on a nine-game point streak, with four straight multi-point performances.
Kucherov has also thrived against the Senators, posting five goals and 17 assists in 11 games since the start of the 2021-22 season. He has recorded multiple points in eight of those matchups.