The Blackhawks are traveling to Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, Florida, for their matchup against the Lightning; keep reading for our Blackhawks versus Lightning prediction. Chicago is fourth in the Central division with a record of 3-2-2. Tampa Bay is last in the Atlantic Division with a record of 1-3-2. The Lightning had a record of 1-1-0 versus the Blackhawks in 2024-25. The puck drop is scheduled for 6:45 p.m. EDT. If you’re looking to cross-check the books and put some cash in your pocket, check out our free NHL picks!
Blackhawks’ Goaltending Finding Wins
The Blackhawks are traveling to Tampa Bay after their win on Sunday versus the Ducks, with a final score of 2-1. This is the third win in the last four games for the Blackhawks as they end a short two-game home stand with a record of 1-0-1. Chicago now briefly goes on the road, where this season they have a record of 1-1-1.
Chicago has looked great on offense this season, ranking tenth overall in scoring, but their goaltending has been the real star, ranking tenth as well in goals allowed. What makes this impressive is that the Blackhawks are the fifth-worst team in shots allowed, allowing an average of 31.00 shots per game, but they still maintain a save percentage of .922, fifth in the NHL. The key has been Spencer Knight, who is starting off his first full season with the Blackhawks on a high note.
We will likely see Spencer Knight get the start in net for the Blackhawks on Thursday.
Spencer Knight:
is 2-2-1 in 5 games with a goals against average of 1.96 and a save percentage of .937 this season. had a record of 17-16-3 in 38 games with a goals against average of 2.72 and a save percentage of .901 in 2024-25 with the Panthers and Blackhawks. has a 3-1-0 record in 4 games with a goals against average of 3.11 and a save percentage of .901 against the Lightning in his career.
Injuries:
Dickinson C Day To Day – Undisclosed Brossoit G Out – Hip Weber D Out – Ankle Lightning Unable To Produce Goals
The Lightning return home after a rough loss on Saturday against the Blue Jackets with a final score of 3-2. This would be the third loss in a row for the Lightning as they continue to struggle to generate wins to start their season. Tampa Bay is now returning home where this season they have yet to find a win with a 0-2 record.
Last season, the Lightning led the league in goal scoring and were fifth overall in power-play percentage at 25.9 and were 12th in shots per game at 28.55. So far this season, the Lightning are 28th in scoring and are the second-worst team in shot production, averaging only 23.33 shots per game. Despite their lack of goal scoring, the Lightning are still elite on special teams, ranking ninth in power-play percentage at 25.0%. Unfortunately, this is all the offense Tampa Bay can muster. Without their power play, I do not expect much offensive production. We are seeing a huge decline in shots, which may be the cause of their decline in goal scoring from last season.
We will likely see Andrei Vasilevskiy get the start in net for the Lightning on Thursday.
Andrei Vasilevskiy:
has a 0-2-2 record in 4 games with a goals against average of 3.50 and a save percentage of .886 this season. had a record of 38-20-5 in 63 games with a goals against average of 2.18 and a save percentage of .921 in 2024-25. is 13-0-0 in 13 games with a goals against average of 2.14 and a save percentage of .930 versus the Blackhawks in his career.
Injuries:
Crozier D Out – Undisclosed Girgensons C Out – Undisclosed Paul LW Out – Upper-body Blackhawks versus Lightning Picks and PredictionPuck Line Pick for Blackhawks vs. Lightning Lightning -1.5 (-120) (4 units)Â
The Lightning have a record of 7-3 against the puck line in their last ten games against the Blackhawks. On top of being undefeated in his career against the Blackhawks, Andrei Vasilevskiy is 7-0-0 in 7 games with a goals against average of 1.99 and a save percentage of .928 versus the Blackhawks at home in his career. Tampa Bay needs to turn their season around and its first home win of the season against one of the more unreliable teams in the league should be exactly what the team needs to get back in gear. We should expect to see Nikita Kucherov return back to the lineup after missing a couple of games due to an illness, and with his return, we should see an improvement in the offensive output of the team. Spencer Knight has a history against the Lightning with his time in Florida and has had issues allowing goals. I believe with the motivated Lightning and the stalwart goaltending of Vasilevskiy, we should see a one-sided game.
Over/Under Pick for Blackhawks versus Lightning Under 6.5 (+114) (4 units)Â
The Blackhawks have an over/under record of 2-5 this season. The Lightning have an over/under record of 2-4 in their last six games versus the Blackhawks. This is going to be a one-sided game as the Blackhawks struggle to produce goals against Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has thrived in his career against them, especially when on home ice. While I do believe Tampa Bay will dominate in puck possession, I do not believe they will run away scoring that many goals, as they still struggle in producing goals this season, as well as going up against a reliable goaltender so far this season in Spencer Knight. I am aiming for a low-scoring game in this one.
Sign Up And Get A 100% Profit Boost Token For 5 Days
Show Bonus Code
Claim Bonus
Signup Promo Recommended
Bet $5 Get $300 in Bonus Bets If Your Bet Wins!
Show Bonus Code
Claim Bonus
Signup Promo Hot Offer
Promotions on BetMGM!
Show Bonus Code
Claim Bonus
Signup Promo Hot Offer