Ottawa Senators vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction - 10/9/2025
Updated October 8, 2025
Updated October 8, 2025
The Ottawa Senators and Tampa Bay Lightning will meet in the first game of the 2025-26 NHL season for both sides. Both teams come into this season with optimism after making the Stanley Cup Playoffs a season ago. They will try to kickstart a deeper playoff run with a win to open this season. Before the puck drops from Tampa, continue reading to get my Senators vs Lightning prediction below.
Line Type | Odds |
|---|---|
Moneyline | Ottawa +140 | Tampa Bay –164 |
Puckline | Ottawa +1.5 (–180) | Tampa –1.5 (+150) |
Total | 6.5 |
This is the first game of the season for both of these teams. Tampa Bay went 47-27-8 and finished second in the Atlantic Division a season ago. Ottawa ended 2024-25 at 45-30-7, clinching a wild card berth after a multi-year playoff drought. Expectations are cautiously optimistic in Ottawa’s camp, while Tampa is viewed as a contender in their division.
Tampa is expected to lean on Andrei Vasilevskiy, one of the league’s elite netminders. His consistency in past campaigns gives the Lightning a strong baseline to work with in net after putting up a 2.18 GAA a season ago. Ottawa’s goaltender is likely to be Linus Ullmark for the bulk of this season after he went 25-14-3 a season ago.
Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Jake Guentzel will be among the most important skaters for the Lightning going into this season. Their power play is expected to remain a weapon. For Ottawa, the offense will lean heavily on Tim Stützle and Brady Tkachuk, assuming they stay healthy. Ottawa’s depth beyond its top lines will be tested against a quality opponent here.
Player | Stat Type | Pick |
|---|---|---|
Nikita Kucherov | Points | Over 1.5 |
Brayden Point | Goals | Over 0.5 |
Tim Stützle | Points | Over 0.5 |
Brady Tkachuk | Goals | Over 0.5 |
Score Projection: Ottawa 4 – Tampa Bay 3
Win Probability: Ottawa 50% | Tampa Bay 50%
This should be an evenly matched game between Atlantic Division opponents. The Senators struggled on the road a season ago, but they have more than enough talent to compete with Tampa Bay here. I'll take the Sens to pull off an upset on the road against a Tampa Bay team that should be fine in the long run despite taking a loss in their season opener on Thursday night.
