The Tampa Bay Lightning (27-18-5) travel to face off against the New York Rangers (31-16-3) on Wednesday, February 7th. This game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York and televised on TNT. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Lightning vs Rangers

The Tampa Bay Lightning Are Coming Off A Win

Despite being the underdog, the Tampa Bay Lightning have been playing well lately. They have won three straight games and have gone 8-2 over their last ten games. Overall, the Lightning have a record of 27-18-5, putting them in 5th place in the Eastern Conference and 3rd place in the Atlantic Division. On the road, Tampa Bay has gone 10-13-2 this season.

So far this year, the Lightning have been the favorite in 29 of their 50 games and have gone 19-9-1 in those games. Against other Eastern Conference teams, Tampa Bay has gone 12-12, and they have gone 5-8 in games against Atlantic Division opponents. For the season, the Lightning have 59 points.

As the underdog, Tampa Bay comes into the game with a puck line record of 26-24 and a road puck line record of 10-15. So far this season, the Lightning have 19 wins by multiple goals and an average scoring margin of +.2 goals per game.

Over their last ten games, the team has gone 7-3 against the puck line and 4-6 in their last ten road games. The Lightning’s puck line record as the underdog is 13-8, and they have won their last three games vs. the puck line.

In their recent matchup, the Lightning hosted the Devils and came away with a 6-3 victory. The first period saw the Lightning being held without a goal, but they turned things around offensively by scoring two times in the second period and four goals in the third. In the game, Tampa Bay managed to score all six goals at even strength. They concluded with 42 shots on goal and committed 5 turnovers.

Tampa Bay came in as the favorites with a -1.5 goal advantage and, as a result, recorded a win against the puck line. With a combined total of 9 goals, the teams exceeded the over/under line of 6.5 goals set for the game.

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

At home this season, the Rangers have gone 16-7-0 and are 24-13-2 as the favorite. In the Eastern Conference, New York is in 3rd place and 1st in the Metropolitan Division. Over their last ten games, the Rangers have gone 5-5 and have won two straight games.

Overall, New York is 31-16-3 this season and has 65 points. In the Eastern Conference, the Rangers have gone 16-9 and are 39-11 as the favorite. Against teams in the Metropolitan Division, New York has a record of 7-4.

On the season, the Rangers have gone 24-26 against the puck line, including going 5-5 in their last ten games. So far, they have 18 wins by multiple goals, and their average scoring margin sits at +.4 goals per game.

As the favorite, the team has gone 14-25 against the puck line, and their average scoring margin in those games is +.2 goals per contest. This season, the Rangers have gone 9-14 against the puck line at home, including going 4-6 in their last ten games at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers recently hosted the Avalanche and emerged victorious with a 2-1 win. In the first and second periods, the Rangers couldn’t find the net on offense, but they managed to score one goal in the third period. In the game, New York managed to score all two goals at even strength. They concluded with 29 shots on goal and committed 7 turnovers.

Entering the game as the underdog, New York came away with a victory against the puck line. The game ended below the over/under line of 6.5, with a combined total of 3 goals.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

The Lightning come into the game scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game, putting them 4th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 17th in the league. Tampa Bay’s offense comes into the game ranked 1st in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 26th in the NHL.

The Lightning’s come into the game with an over/under record of 23-23-4. Over the course of last season, they had 40 games that did not surpass the 6.5 over/under line. The average number of goals in their games was 6.5 per game.

Rangers Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Rangers are averaging 3.2 goals per game which is 11th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 11th in the league. This season, the Rangers have a 21-11 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. In games with fewer shots on goal, they hold a 10-4 record.

The Rangers’ over/under record this season is 26-21-3. For the season, they have had 26 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging 6.1 goals per game.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning are currently 18th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.7 shots per game against Tampa Bay. They also are 7th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

New York Team Defense

Defensively, the Rangers come into the season ranked 25th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 28.3 shots per game against New York. For the season, they are ranked 24th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Lightning vs Rangers Trends

• Across their ten previous road games, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 4-6. Their straight up record in these matchups was 5-5 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• When looking at their past five home matchups, New York has an puck line record of 2-3 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 3-2 overall in these games.
• In their last five games as the betting underdog, the Rangers have a strong straight up record of 3-2. In addition, their puck line record was 5-0 in these scenarios.
• The Lightning have played well in their last five games as the betting favorite, going 4-1 straight up and 4-1 against the spread.

Lightning vs Rangers Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Rangers to secure a victory over the Lightning at home. With the moneyline currently set at -136, I’m locking in my bet on the Rangers straight-up.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Lightning to cover. Even if the Rangers manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Lightning should cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.