New York Rangers at Tampa Bay Lightning odds, picks and predictions
The New York Rangers (24-9-1) will try to bounce back after Friday night's loss to Florida as they travel north in the Sunshine State to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (17-14-5) on Saturday at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze FanDuel Sportsbook's lines around the Rangers vs Lightning odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Rangers failed to record a point against the Panthers Friday night, failing to cash as a (+129) underdog. Despite the loss the Rangers remain the top team in the Eastern Conference with 49 points.
The Lightning also lost to the Panthers in their last game, falling 3-2 on Wednesday night as a (+114) home underdog. The loss snapped a 3-game winning streak for Tampa. The Under has cashed in 7 out of the 11 games that Tampa Bay has played in.
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Rangers at Lightning odds
Provided by FanDuel Sportsbook, access Paste BN Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:10 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Lightning -118 (bet $118 to win $100) | Rangers -102 (bet $102 to win $10)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Lightning -1.5 (+202) | Rangers +1.5 (-250)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +108 | U: -132)
Rangers at Lightning projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (14-7-0, 2.77 GAA, .908 SV%) vs. Andrei Vasileskiy (8-6-0, 2.78 GAA, .907 SV%, 1 SO)
Shesterkin took a seat Friday night with the weekend back-to-back and now will look to build on his 4-game winning streak. At Madison Square Garden Wednesday night, Shesterkin turned aside 26 of 27 shot attempts as New York steamrolled Washington 5-1. He will hope to celebrate his 28th birthday with the 6th regular season victory over Tampa Bay in his career (5-0-1).
Vasilevskiy had won his prior 3 starts before allowing 3 goals in the Wednesday loss at home to Florida. Coming into Saturday, only 4 teams in the NHL have allowed more goals (123) than Tampa Bay. Vasilevskiy should take solace in playing at home: The Big Cat sports a .930 SV% at Amalie Arena compared to a .891 SV% on the road.
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Rangers at Lightning picks and predictions
Prediction
Rangers 3, Lightning 2
Moneyline
The RANGERS (-102) are worth backing as a slight road underdog. Despite leading the league in wins for 5 straight seasons (2017-18 to 2021-22), Andrei Vasilevskiy has a sub-.500 record vs. The Blueshirts in his career (4-6-2). Tampa Bay will once again be without key D Mikhail Sergachev, who is dealing with a lower-body injury. The lack of Sergachev's presence in an already thin Lightning defensive unit should allow for LW Artemi Panarin, who has goals in 3 straight games to stay hot.
Puck line/Against the spread
PASS.
These two rivals should play tight, and it would not surprise me if this game went to overtime. The price to bank on a late empty-net goal (-250) is too expensive.
Over/Under
BET UNDER -6.5 (-132).
The legs of the Rangers skaters could be coming in a bit fatigued after a battle the night prior with the defending Eastern Conference Champions. While the last meeting between Tampa and New York saw a combined 9 goals, the Under had cashed in the prior 6 matchups (including the postseason). Shesterkin and Vasilevskiy are the 2 winningest netminders since 2021-22, and I expect the Russian netminders to rise to the occasion Saturday night at Amalie.
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