Florida Panthers @ Tampa Bay Lightning - April 30, 2025

Oh boy, it’s that time again! Wednesday night is going to be electric as our Florida Panthers clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena. Nothing gets the blood pumping like divisional bragging rights on the line, and you better believe this one is going to be intense!

First off, let’s talk about the last time these two teams met. The Panthers took home a solid 4-2 victory on April 28, and I’m sure that stung for Tampa fans. Oddsmakers have opened the Lightning as slight favorites at -125, but if there’s anything we know about rivalry games like this one, throw those numbers out the window! When these two teams face off, it’s all about heart.

Now let’s look at what both teams are bringing into this showdown. The Florida Panthers have had a solid season with a record of 50-32-4. They’ve shown they can score goals—averaging around 3 per game—and their offensive zone percentage is impressive at just over 56%. Their shooting percentage isn’t too shabby either at nearly 10%, and with an average of over 31 shots per game, they know how to put pressure on opposing goalies.

On the flip side, Tampa Bay has been struggling recently; they’ve dropped four of their last five games and aren’t playing up to their potential. Even though their offense averages just above 3.5 goals per game and has a decent power play percentage of nearly 26%, things haven’t been clicking lately. Plus, you can’t ignore that defense; while they boast an impressive save percentage of over 90%, something seems off when they step onto the ice against their rivals.

One thing I’m super excited about is how both teams’ offenses have been trending toward overs lately. With the total set at 6.5 for tonight’s matchup and considering both squads can light it up in a hurry (the total has gone OVER in 8 of Tampa’s last ten), I wouldn’t be shocked if we see some fireworks—but I’m leaning towards under tonight given both teams will likely tighten up defensively.

So here’s my prediction: I’m betting on our Florida Panthers taking this one! They’re coming in hot after their recent win against Tampa Bay and should cover the spread too as underdogs—it just feels right! The Lightning may try to rally in front of their home crowd, but the way Florida has played recently gives me confidence that they’ll emerge victorious once again.

In conclusion, expect a hard-fought battle between these fierce rivals! I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s tightly contested through most of regulation before we see a late-game burst from our boys in red and black taking us to victory! Go Panthers! Bring it home tonight!