The Florida Panthers lost Game 2 in heartbreaking fashion when Ross Colton scored from the net mouth of the goal with less than three seconds left in the game.
The Tampa Bay Lightning did their job and took two games on the road and they can now come back home and try to sweep the series.
See who has the betting edge in our free NHL picks and predictions for Lightning vs. Panthers on Sunday, May 22.
Panthers vs Lightning Game 3 odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Lightning opened up as -105 home underdogs and the line has moved slightly to -110. The total opened at 6.5 and hasn’t had any movement either.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Panthers vs Lightning Game 3 predictions
Predictions made on 5/21/2022 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Panthers vs Lightning Game 3 info
• Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
• Date: Sunday, May 22, 2022
• Puck drop: 1:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT, Sportsnet
Panthers vs Lightning series odds
Panthers: +310
Lightning: -390
Panthers vs Lightning Game 3 betting preview
Key injuries
Panthers: Mason Marchment F (Out), Markus Nutivaara D (Out).
Lightning: Brayden Point F (Questionable), Brandon Hagel F (Out), Brent Seabrook D (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Panthers vs Lightning head-to-head record
Panthers: 0-2 SU, 2 goals for.
Lightning: 2-0 SU, 6 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 6-2 in the last eight meetings. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs. Lightning.
Panthers vs Lightning Game 3 picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The Florida Panthers have been a complete disappointment in the first two games of this series, and it all starts with their powerplay.
The Panthers haven’t scored a power-play goal in the entire playoffs and that is making a huge difference in their offensive production. They're averaging just 2.75 goals per game and will not have any success if their man-advantage unit continues to struggle.
Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Lightning are starting to find their best stuff, picking up where they left off in last year's postseason. They simply just know how to get the job done in the playoffs and now they're headed home with all the momentum in this series.
The Lightning are averaging 3.22 goals per game and Andrei Vasilevskiy has been stellar in between the pipes.
Tampa has gotten contributions from nearly everyone in the its lineup, while the Panthers are still trying to get more out of their big guns like Jonathan Huberdeau, who's been really quiet in these playoffs after an explosive regular season (30 goals, 85 assists).
For the Lightning, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, and Steven Stamkos have been performing consistently and carrying their squad. These three along with the rest of the Bolts roster when into South Florida and stole two games on the road, setting the tone for the rest of the series, and putting the Panthers in a deep hole.
Florida may not have much life left in them after that Game 2 defeat, and as such, this is Tampa's game to lose.
Prediction: Lightning moneyline (-110 at DraftKings)
Over/Under analysis
Both goalies have been phenomenal through the first two games of this series, and as good as each team is offensively, there have been just eight goals scored through two games.
Vasilevskiy has been one of the best goalies in the playoffs as he's currently boasting a .915 save percentage and a +6.0 goal saved above expected. The Panthers have only been able to score two goals on Vasilevskiy in this series thus far and with the power-play struggling as much as it is, I don’t see the offensive production picking up all that much.
Sergei Bobrovsky has done all he can to help his team win with a .906 SV% and a +4.3 GSAx.
As good as the goaltending has been on both sides, each team’s expected goals percentage is currently under 50%. The Lightning currently have a 49.66% xGF and the Panthers have a 47.84%. The Panthers as a team are currently averaging 3.13 goals against per game and the Lightning are holding teams to just 2.89 goals against per game.
I think the theme of this series will continue in this game and it will stay Under.
Prediction: Under 6.5 (-120 at DraftKings)
Best bet
Sometimes in the playoffs when a goalie gets hot, they tend to not fall off on home ice. Vasilevskiy was incredible on the road and now he will be even more confident in front of his own fans.
The part that scares me most about the Panthers is how good of a home team they were all season, and Florida still got completely outplayed by Tampa on home ice in both Game's 1 and 2. With Florida now on the road, I’m not so sure their issues will be fixed.
It’s hard to not have faith in these goalies and it has shown that 6.5 might be a bit too high of a number. I’m riding with the Under.
Pick: Under 6.5 (-120 at DraftKings)
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