The NHL continues this week as we edge closer towards the playoffs, with the Tampa Bay Lightning playing host to the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.
Tampa come into the game with a 39-19-4 record so far, following a disappointing run of five defeats in their last seven games. Detroit, on the other hand, have a 36-21-7 record for the campaign, as they also push for a playoff spot.
We’ll break down the match-up between the sides and provide you with our best free NHL betting picks, as we try to earn you some extra cash while you enjoy the action on the ice.
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Tampa were keen to kick on after a disappointing postseason in 2025, but the new season started horrendously as they won just one of their first six games, which included an overtime defeat against Detroit.
The team responded well, however, winning their next five games on the bounce to build some momentum and get the season back on track. That run was brought to an end by the Colorado Avalanche, before alternating wins and losses in their next five games.
The Lightning followed that up with an exciting seven-game winning streak against the likes of the Philadelphia Flyers, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers, finishing November with a 16-7-2 record and with momentum on their side.
Despite that, though, December started poorly as Tampa lost four in a row, including against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and six of their first nine of the month to fall down the rankings. However, the Lightning went on an extraordinary run after that.
Tampa won their final five games in December, before winning 11 of their 13 games in January, and their first four games in February to power back up the standings. They’ve recently been brought back down to Earth, though, losing five of their last six games heading into this matchup at the time of writing.
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Detroit started the season fast, and despite losing the opening game of the campaign against the Montreal Canadiens, they went on to win five in a row and eight of their next 11 to end October with a strong 8-4 record.
November was less kind to the Red Wings, however, as the team suffered two separate three-game losing streaks, either side of wins against Anaheim Ducks, New York Rangers, and Seattle Kraken. Since that run though, Detroit have been in excellent form and pushed themselves all the way up the standings.
Detroit won six of their first eight games in December, losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets in a shootout and Edmonton Oilers. But that defeat didn’t stop their momentum, and the team went on another excellent run of seven wins in nine games, including two victories over the Washington Capitals and a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs, ending the calendar year with a 24-14-3 record.
2026 didn’t get off to the best start following two losses to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the Red Wings followed that up with seven wins in their next eight games. But they then lost four of their final five games before the mid-season break for the Winter Olympics.
Since returning from that pause in action, Detroit are 3-2-1 at the time of writing, and come into this game in decent form.
As usual, the Tampa Bay Lightning are being led by their superstar Nikita Kucherov, who is once again having a stellar individual campaign.
The right-winger has scored an impressive 34 goals, alongside 69 assists, for 103 points this season, leading the team in all three metrics. That has helped the team to the fourth-best-ranked offense in the NHL for goals scored per game with 3.53, while they also have the third-best-ranked defense in the league, allowing just 2.74 goals per game.
Detroit, on the other hand, are having a campaign with a number of players shining. Alex DeBrincat has scored the most goals for the Red Wings this season, netting 33, while Lucas Raymond has registered 45 assists, helping him to a team-leading 65 points for the season.
Offensively, the team are averaging 2.92 goals per game, ranking them 20th in the NHL, while defensively they are also allowing 2.92 goals per game, an average that sees them ranked 10th in the league.
Statistically the game may be relatively tight, and with Tampa not in the greatest form, it could be close on the ice too. Detroit’s record in Tampa is decent, with a 3-2-1 record in their last six visits, and with the odds as high as they are, it’s worth a punt that they continue their run towards the playoffs.
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About the Author
Daniel is a football writer who has a great thirst for the Premier League and other major European leagues. A lover of the beautiful game and a firm believer that the eye test is better than statistics. Also an avid MMA fan.
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