Minnesota Wild vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 03/24/26

The matchup between the Minnesota Wild and Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday might not get enough hype because of the other games around the league that have more playoff seeding implications. Still, this game is one of the better potential Stanley Cup Final previews of the year. It won’t be easy for the Wild to get through the Central Division to meet the Lightning, who have a bit of an easier path depending on how you view the Buffalo Sabres. If Minnesota can get through the gauntlet of the first two rounds, they’d be the favorites to represent the West.

The Lightning have been trying to beat their opponents with offense over the past week, while the Wild are starting to settle into a defensive rhythm with their stingy backend and two capable starting goaltenders. Minnesota’s last game was a postseason-style affair against the Dallas Stars, outlasting the team they are chasing in the Central Division standings for a 2-1 overtime win. In fact, 10 of the Wild’s last 11 games have come under the 6.5 number.

The same can’t be said for the Lightning, who have seen their games go over in 4 straight. While their offense has been firing on all cylinders, the teams they played were the Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks. They haven’t exactly been playing defensive juggernauts. It’s also their first home game after a lengthy road trip, which doesn’t always lead to the fastest of starts.

While Tampa Bay’s games have been going over, Andrei Vasilevskiy is scarily rounding into postseason form, allowing 2 or fewer goals in 4 of his past 5 starts. With Minnesota’s last 2 games ending in 2-1 finals, it isn’t hard to see another grind-it-out game here that leads to another low-scoring result.

Wild vs Lightning prediction: Under 6.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.