Panthers vs Lightning Same Game Parlay Picks for April 22: Bet on Kucherov Assists, Carolina Puck Line

It wouldn’t feel like a real Stanley Cup Playoff season without rivals Florida and Tampa Bay squaring off. The teams will meet in the postseason for the fourth time in the last five seasons.

The home team has won six of the last seven postseason games in one of the most heated rivalries in the NHL. The last three meetings went over the total after the previous eight games all landed under.

The game is approaching Pick’em status with Tampa Bay having -115 odds to win outright compared to -105 odds for the reigning Stanley Cup champions. The NHL betting odds have Tampa Bay at +216 on the -1.5 puck line while Florida comes in at -255 at +1.5.

All signs point to Matthew Tkachuk playing tonight when the #FlaPanthers and Lightning finally get going, lots of playoff action, another fired coach and more from around the NHL ⬇️https://t.co/xHPEUnTLos

— George Richards (@GeorgeRichards) April 22, 2025

Let’s take a look at the best NHL bets today for this matchup. Keep an eye on the availability of Florida winger Matthew Tkachuk. He may return at some point in this series. Will it happen in Game 1? His expected return is one reason why the NHL futures bets favor the Panthers to return to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Panthers vs Lightning Free NHL Parlay Picks

• Leg 1: Panthers vs Lightning Under 5.5 (-110)

When the teams met a week ago, the first-round playoff matchup was already set. That resulted in some key players on both teams sitting that game out, so it is hard to put much stock into how things played out in Tampa Bay’s 5-1 win. Who will make NHL news today?

Before that, the previous two games finished under the total. Since the start of February, Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy is first and Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky ranks fourth in save percentage among goalies who have played in at least 20 games. Beating these two proven playoff performers will be no easy task.

That is reason enough to go with the game to land under when making NHL picks.

Bet This Pick: Panthers vs Lightning Under 5.5 (-110)

• Leg 2: Panthers +1.5 (-255)

Tampa Bay and Florida haven’t had as many one-goal games in recent seasons so some might think. That could change in the series opener.

One thing to consider is that both teams will try to set the tone with a physical style of hockey in this NHL matchup and that might mean some trips to the penalty box, especially if one team jumps out to the early lead. Keep that in mind when considering the NHL free picks and parlays.

Bet This Pick: Panthers +1.5 (-255)

• Leg 3: Nikita Kucherov 1+ Assists  (-200)

Nikita Kucherov just won the NHL scoring title with 121 points in 78 games. In the last meeting with the Panthers, he had a goal and an assist. It didn’t hurt that he saw more than six minutes of power-play time in a game with playoff intensity.

Back-to-back league leader in points!

With 121, Nikita Kucherov has won the Art Ross Trophy for the third time in his career ⚡️

📝: https://t.co/CBvcmXCKrX pic.twitter.com/uCzpnrXNv1

— x – Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) April 18, 2025

Don’t expect as much time with the man advantage in the series opener. But he could still be a solid choice in the NHL prop picks today?

Bet This Pick: Nikita Kucherov 1+ Assists (-200)

• Leg 4: Carter Verhaeghe 1+ Points (+131)

Carter Verhaeghe torched his former team for five goals in last year’s playoff series. With no goals and one assist in four games versus the Lightning during the regular season, Verhaeghe could be due to break out and add to his total of 26 career playoff goals.

Take Verhaeghe at +131 to have 1+ points as one of the top NHL predictions.

Bet This Pick: Carter Verhaeghe 1+ Points (+131)

Panthers vs Lightning How to Watch

• Game: Florida Panthers (47-31-4) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8)
• Date/Time: Tuesday, April 22, 8:30 p.m. ET
• Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
• Panthers vs Lightning Live Stream: NHL.tv

Find the latest Panthers vs Lightning betting trends here.

Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.

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