Bruce's Picks (13 Live)
Jeff Capel might not have a vintage Panthers side at his disposal, as losses in four of five suggests Pitt might have trouble matching last season's 17 wins. Touted South Alabama transfer G Barry Dunning, Jr (11.4 ppg) hasn't been lighting up the scoreboard as advertised (maybe he's just confused where he's at these days, on his fourth school in as many seasons!) and relying on 6-10 Cameron Corhen as the main go-to scorer has risks as the case when Hofstra limited him to 7 points in the Pride's win last Sunday. Meanwhile, would not hold it against Villanova to get rocked as it was by Michigan on Tuesday, as Kevin Willard's Wildcats had won their seven previous games all by double-digit margins. Play Villanova
We don't mind taking a spin with a Tampa Bay side that looks on the upswing. Fourteen goals across the past two games for the Lightning in wins over the Canadiens and Devils on this road trip, following a pair of shutout losses (one vs. the Islanders at home). We like the quick rematch angle especially as Tampa Bay also lost 2-1 vs. the same Isles just five nights earlier on December 2. Tampa Bay has picked up the offense while GK Andrei Vasilevsky has been out the past few games as the Lightning has won back-to-back with Jonas Johansson in goal, jumping all over opposing goalies Jakub Dobes, Sam Montembeault and Jacob Markstrom in the process. Play Lightning on Puck Line