Two teams that have already punched their postseason tickets collide tonight, with the New York Rangers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Tampa Bay Lightning (-102) vs. New York Rangers (-118) Total: 5.5 (O -130, U +106)The Lightning are locked into their first-round matchup for the second consecutive year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, the Rangers still have some balls up in the air with five games left in their regular season. This will be the third and final matchup between the clubs in a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Final.
Entering this matchup, the Lightning have won three straight games, posting a 6-4 record over their last ten games, while the Rangers are 7-2-1. The Rangers are home favorites on the moneyline at -118, while the Lightning are at -102.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the visiting Lightning are expected to start Andrei Vasilevskiy, while the Rangers should go with Igor Shesterkin. The Lightning’s netminder has a 34-20-4 record with a .918 save percentage, while Shesterkin is 35-13-7 with a .915 save percentage. With two Vezina-winning goalies in the nets, it’s hard to give an edge one way or the other.
The Lightning have been quietly ending their season positively, while the Rangers have been strong over the last three weeks. With the home side having more to play for and the Lightning having a few mediocre stretches over the last month, it’s hard not to back the Blueshirts at -118.
Best Bet: Rangers moneyline (-118)
The first two matchups saw four and three goals scored. The total for tonight is set at 5.5, with the over priced at -130 and the under at +106. The Lightning boast the eighth-highest scoring offense in the NHL, while the Rangers sit fourth in goals allowed per game. Over the Lightning’s last five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored in just one, while the Rangers have seen that in three. With recent trends, looking toward the under 5.5 has value at +106.
Best Bet: Under 5.5 (+106)
The Rangers have solid depth in their forward group, and some of their youngsters have come alive lately. Alexis Lafreniere stands out, leading the club with six points over their last five games. Lafreniere is listed at +380 to score tonight.
Best Prop: Alex Lafreniere to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+380)
