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Tampa Bay (27-13-3) at Philadelphia (22-13-8)
- When: Jan 12 2026, 7:00 PM
- Where: Xfinity Mobile Arena, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- TV: The Spot
Tampa Bay vs Philadelphia NHL Preview & Pick
Moneyline: Tampa Bay -155
Spread: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+160)
Total: 6.0
Tampa Bay Lightning: Currently On Fire, Please Stand Back
Tampa Bay arrives in Philadelphia riding a heater so hot it probably needs a warning label. The Lightning have won nine straight games and look like a team that accidentally flipped the switch from regular season mode to Stanley Cup chaos. Nikita Kucherov is playing like the puck owes him money, piling up points every night and casually embarrassing defensive coverages like it is part of his warm up routine.
Saturday’s visit to Philly turned into a full blown Lightning power surge. Tampa scored seven times, barely broke a sweat, and made it look like a preseason scrimmage where one team forgot to show up with goalie pads. Kucherov filled the stat sheet again, Brayden Point dished assists like a maître at a five star restaurant, and even the depth guys decided it was their turn to score. The scary part is this team was losing games not long ago, then decided winning was more fun and simply refused to stop.
Tampa Bay’s confidence is sky high, their puck movement is lethal, and when they play with a lead, games feel over before the third period even thinks about starting. With the moneyline favoring Tampa Bay, it makes sense. They are fast, ruthless, and playing with the swagger of a team that remembers what parade planning looks like.
Philadelphia Flyers: Please Keep Your Arms Inside The Ride
Philadelphia, meanwhile, is trying to regroup emotionally, spiritually, and defensively after Saturday’s disaster. The Flyers had been trending upward before running headfirst into the Lightning buzzsaw. Suddenly, turnovers appeared everywhere, defensive gaps opened wider than rush hour traffic, and sarcastic crowd cheers became the loudest sound in the building.
To their credit, the Flyers did not throw their goalie under the bus, even though he spent most of the night under siege. Coach Rick Tocchet was not thrilled with the effort, especially from players who are supposed to drive offense instead of handing the puck back to Tampa like a gift receipt.
The Flyers will likely go back to Dan Vladar, who has quietly been solid and might be their best chance to keep this game respectable. Philadelphia needs structure, discipline, and possibly a group hug if they want to slow Tampa down even a little.
Betting Angle and Final Prediction
With Tampa Bay favored and the total sitting at six, this game sets up for another fast paced night. Tampa’s offense is rolling, Philadelphia struggles to slow elite skill, and unless the Flyers completely flip the script, the Lightning should control the tempo again.
Philadelphia may show more fight, but Tampa’s confidence and depth are hard to ignore.
Score Prediction: Lightning 4, Flyers 2
Pick: Tampa Bay -1.5 (+160)
Total: Under 6.5 Alt Lines (-135)
- NHL Odds source: Bovada Sportsbook
