Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Prediction & Picks - NHL

Prediction published on 12/27/25, 3:12 PM  by Taavi Pailk in NHL Picks

State rivals, the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, meet up for the third time this season on Saturday night at Amerant Bank Arena.

The two have split their previous two meetings, with both sides winning on the road. Most recently, Florida beat Tampa Bay 5-2 on Dec. 15, and the Lightning triumphed 3-1 in November. Their third head-to-head meeting comes with only one point separating the teams in the Atlantic Division standings.

The Panthers have enjoyed their best stretch of the season lately, winning eight of their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Lightning have been going through a frustrating spell. In December, Jon Cooper’s men have lost seven of their 11 outings.

Cooper’s team has been hit hard by injuries, seriously disrupting its rhythm. However, starting goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy recently returned to the lineup, and the results have begun to improve. On Saturday, Tampa Bay has a chance to record a third consecutive victory.

In this matchup, neither side has won consecutive regular-season games since the last campaign. The two are among the elite teams in the league, and games between them are almost always very competitive and tight.