The first-round NHL playoff series between the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning continues on Thursday. The Lightning are currently trailing their state rivals 1-0. Last year`s Stanley Cup champions, the Panthers, aim to take a dominant 2-0 lead heading into Game 3 on home ice. Tampa Bay has a strong recent playoff history, with two Stanley Cups and three Finals appearances since 2020. This season, the Lightning had a solid 29-8-4 record at home, contrasting with the Panthers` 20-19-2 road record.
According to betting odds, the Lightning are favored on the money line at -126, while the Panthers are underdogs at +106. The total goals over/under is set at 5.5.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every NHL game extensively, offering top-rated player prop picks. These picks are assigned ratings up to five stars and can be used to build winning parlays, including same-game parlays.
Based on the SportsLine model, here are two top-rated player prop picks for Thursday`s Panthers-Lightning game:
SportsLine`s Top Prop Picks for Panthers-Lightning
- Nikita Kucherov: Under 1.5 total points (-156) – 5 stars
- Carter Verhaeghe: Over 2.5 total shots on goal (+118) – 4.5 stars
Nikita Kucherov is a major star in the series, having led the NHL in points for two straight seasons. This year he recorded 121 points, including 84 assists. Despite his talent, the model favors the Under 1.5 total points for him in this game, giving it a 5-star rating. This pick is supported by Kucherov going under this line in his last five games against teams with winning records.
Completing the same-game parlay picks is Carter Verhaeghe. The model favors the Over 2.5 total shots on goal for him, noting this prop offers plus money odds. Verhaeghe has averaged 3.0 shots per game and has exceeded this prop line in six of his last ten games. The model projects him for 2.9 shots on goal in this game.
