Calgary Flames vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Picks

Calgary is playing its best hockey of the season. The Flames have won three in a row, with the last two coming in back-to-back fashion. The Flames upset Dallas, 3-2, as a plus $1.23 home underdog this past Saturday and followed that up with a 5-2 road victory against the Canucks at plus $1.21 this past Sunday. Calgary has been giving more starts to backup goalie Devin Cooley, who has looked good with a 1.81 GAA and a .935 SV%. The Flames have had two full days of rest to get up for this matchup. Calgary would be 6-1 in its last seven games if given 1.5 goals a game. Tampa Bay is fat and happy, having won four consecutive games, the last a 3-0 home win over the Flyers two days ago. It can't be forgotten, though, that the Lightning have a lengthy injury list. They have been playing without Erik Cernak, Maxwell Crozier, Victor Hedman, and Ryan McDonagh. Take the Flames on the puckline. 

Calgary comes off a 3-1 win at Washington as a +178 dog. They're on a 7-6 run, winning four times as an underdog. Making the playoffs will be a challenge, but the team is grinding hard. The defense keeps them in games, ranked 14th in goals allowed and 11th in save percentage (.904). They're 4-1 in their last five road contests. The last time these teams met in this arena, Tampa Bay lost to Calgary, 6-3, as a 150-favorite. Play Calgary. 

Calgary has lost six of eight although the Flames did get a 4-3 win at Nashville on Tuesday that snapped an eight-game road skid. The Flames are back home to face Tampa Bay, but they have lost four in a row to the Atlantic Division and five of six versus teams that allowed two or fewer goals their previous game. The Lightning have won five straight as favorites of -110 to -150 and they look to bounce back following a tough 2-1 loss to the red-hot Oilers on Tuesday night. Despite that loss the Lightning have averaged 4.2 goals their past 10 games. Andrei Vasilevskiy had 23 saves against the Oilers and he owns a 2.40 goals-against average with a .912 save percentage. Calgary has averaged just 2.4 goals its past seven games. Take the Lightning.

Calgary won the only meeting this season 4-2 on Dec. 16 and the Flames come into this game winning five of its past six although they did lose 4-2 to Seattle on Monday. Calgary goalie Jacob Markstrom also looks to bounce back after allowing all four goals and he still is 21-16-2 with a 2.61 goals-against average this season. Tampa Bay defeated Montreal 4-3 in a shootout win on Saturday, but the Lightning have lost five of their past eight games. Calgary has won four straight against teams with winning records and the Flames have won six of seven road games. Also, Calgary is 6-1 its past seven games as an underdog. The Lightning have lost four of five playing with at least three days rest. Take the Flames.