NHL predictions: Lightning heating up at just the right time

For the majority of this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have comfortably positioned themselves within the playoff brackets, albeit by a thread at times.

The Lightning boast key players from their Stanley Cup victories in recent years, fueling expectations that their winning mentality will emerge precisely when it's most needed. That moment seems to have arrived, as the Lightning have clinched four consecutive victories, catapulting them into the top wild card position in the Eastern Conference.

THE LIGHTNING'S RECENT VICTORIES WEREN'T AGAINST ANY RUN-OF-THE-MILL TEAMS; THEY TOOK DOWN THE FLYERS, RANGERS, PANTHERS, AND GOLDEN KNIGHTS – ALL CONTENDERS FOR THE PLAYOFFS, OUTSCORING THEM WITH A TOTAL OF 23-9.

These triumphs have provided the Lightning with some much-needed leeway. Sitting at 80 points after 68 matches, they lead the Detroit Red Wings by four points, the Washington Capitals by five, and the New York Islanders by seven.

With odds of +2676* for clinching their third Stanley Cup in five years, the Lightning are gearing up for a Californian journey this week, facing off against San Jose on Thursday, Los Angeles on Saturday, and Anaheim on Sunday.

Explore some top wagers on 7x7Bets for Thursday’s lineup.

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Top Money Line Wager

Post the March 8 trade deadline, the Winnipeg Jets have dominated 54.5 percent of score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals in five-on-five play, a slight improvement from before the deadline. Their recent form includes victories in five out of six away games.

The Jets are visiting the New Jersey Devils, who, despite strong possession figures, have seen a decline to 46.6 percent in expected goals since the trade deadline. The Devils haven't secured back-to-back home wins since January 5 and are fresh from a 5-2 victory over Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

It's been a tough season for the Devils, and the challenge from the soaring Jets doesn't bode well for improving their fortunes.

Jets ML ( -123* )

Premier Handicap Bet

The Carolina Hurricanes have celebrated wins in seven of their last eight matches, with a significant number of those wins by at least a two-goal margin. They've managed nearly 63 percent of expected goals post-trade deadline.

This sets a daunting challenge for the Philadelphia Flyers, currently ranked 30th with slightly less than 42 percent of expected goals since the deadline.

Injuries to their defense mean the Flyers are in for a rough time against a Hurricanes team that enhanced their offensive capabilities at the deadline with Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov joining the ranks.

Holding onto a playoff spot, the Flyers desperately need points from this match, but facing the high-flying Hurricanes will be a tall order.

Hurricanes -1.5 ( +103* )

Optimal Total Bet

Two defensively challenged teams make a strong case for a high-scoring affair. The Chicago Blackhawks, tied at 27th, have let in an average of 3.76 goals over the past month.

While Chicago struggles to defend, the Anaheim Ducks fare even worse, tied at 30th with a goals against average of 4.12 in the last month.

This defensive vulnerability of Anaheim is an open invitation for Chicago’s shining rookie, Connor Bedard, who has amassed 21 points in 16 matches since his return from injury.

Blackhawks-Ducks Over 6 ( -109* )

Top Player Prop Wager

St. Louis Blues winger Jake Neighbours, with 22 goals in 69 games, has been a constant on the Blues power play, contributing 13 of his 32 points in these situations.

The Blues are facing the Ottawa Senators, a team struggling significantly with their penalty kill. Over the past month, the Senators conceded 11 goals in nearly 47 minutes of playing four-on-five, translating to 14.1 goals against per 60 minutes, ranking them 31st.

Neighbours, on a four-game point streak and pivotal in the power play, is well-positioned to continue his scoring run in Ottawa.

Jake Neighbours Over 0.5 points ( +110* )

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