If you want more Action Network content, be sure to add us as a preferred source on Google.
The Tampa Bay Lightning (4-1-0) and New York Rangers (5-2-0) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:15 p.m. EDT at Madison Square Garden in New York, N.Y. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Lightning are favored at -162 on the moneyline, with the Rangers +136 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 5.5 (-135o / +114u).
Let's get into our Lightning vs. Rangers predictions and NHL picks.
Lightning vs. Rangers Prediction
- Pick: Lightning ML (-162, FanDuel)
Our Tampa Bay vs. New York best bet is on Tampa Bay to win, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
Make sure to download the Action Network app for more NHL picks and analysis!
Lightning vs Rangers Odds
| Lightning Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +154 | 5.5 -135o / +114u | -162 |
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -185 | 5.5 -135o / 114u | +136 |
- Lightning vs. Rangers puck line: Lightning -1.5 (+210), Rangers +1.5 (-263)
- Lightning vs. Rangers over/under: 5.5 (-135o / +114u)
- Lightning vs. Rangers moneyline: Lightning -162, Rangers +136
- Lightning vs. Rangers best bet: Lightning ML (-162, FanDuel)
Lightning vs. Rangers Preview
A lot has changed for the Rangers since beating the Lightning 5-1 on opening night. I’d love to say we’re getting another Igor Shesterkin vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy duel, but that won’t happen tonight, or in the teams’ final meeting in March for that matter, with Shesterkin out for the year.
New York survived its first full game without Igor, though it came in a favorable matchup against the Canucks.
Mike Sullivan also used that game to shake things up, moving Pavel Dorofeyev up alongside Mika Zibanejad and Gabe Perreault. It’s been a slow start for New York’s big offseason addition, who has just a goal and two assists in seven games, and the new trio didn’t quite click either.
The other side of that change worked much better. Alexis Lafreniere picked up an assist just 27 seconds in while skating alongside J.T. Miller and Tye Kartye, then scored a minute into the third period.
The Rangers went just 9-20-3 without Shesterkin last season, so expect Sullivan to keep tinkering in search of combinations that can pick up the slack.
That search gets a lot tougher tonight. New York is 4-0 at home, but this is its first true test without its best player in net.
Tampa Bay has won four straight since the opener, including solid wins over the Capitals and the Wild. Saturday’s win over the Islanders wasn’t pretty after the Lightning blew a two-goal lead, but Tampa controlled most of the third period, and Brandon Hagel’s hat trick and assist were a great sign for the top of the lineup.
Tampa’s 11-forward, seven-defensemen setup is working early too, with veterans Ryan McDonagh, Victor Hedman and John Carlson holding up well on the back end, and the Lightning rank fifth in expected goal share per MoneyPuck.
Vasilevskiy should get the start here, a big edge on paper over rookie Dylan Garand, who will carry the load until Joonas Korpisalo returns in about four weeks. To his credit, Garand hasn’t had a bad game yet in his young career. He’s allowed two goals or fewer in all five career starts with a .947 save percentage, including a 29-save win over Tampa last season.
Still, I expect last season’s story to repeat. I didn’t have high hopes for the Rangers coming into the year, and without Shesterkin, I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by saying New York will slide down the standings in the coming months.
This is a classic back-the-better-team spot, and I’ll pay the extra juice.
Best Bet: Lightning ML (-162, FanDuel)
