The New York Rangers (24-9-1) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (17-14-5) on Saturday, December 30th. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa. Both the Rangers and Lightning will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning

The New York Rangers Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

As they head into their game vs. the Lightning, the Rangers have a 24-9-1 record thus far. While playing at home, their record stands at 12-4-0, and they have 12-5-1 mark on the road. Their current record places them 1st in the Eastern Metropolitan division and 1st in the Eastern conference. New York’s average scoring margin this season is +.6, leading to an overall puck line record of 17-17. At their home arena, they have a scoring margin of +.8, while on the road, it is +.5.

The Rangers aim to bounce back following their 4-3 loss on the road to the Panthers. In the first period, the Rangers struggled to find the net on offense, but they turned things around with two times in the second period and one goal in the third. The New York offense recorded 34 shots on goal and successfully netted one time while short-handed during the game.

New York went into the game as the underdogs, but they still managed to cover the puck line despite the loss. The combined total of 7 goals exceeded the over/under line, which was set at 6 goals for the game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

This season, the Lightning have a mark of 17-14-5. When going on the road, Tampa Bay has a record of 7-10-2 record, while they are 10-4-3 at their home arena. In the Eastern Atlantic division, they are currently 4th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 10th. Tampa Bay’s average scoring difference this season sits at -0.1, which has contributed to their overall puck line record of 18-18. When playing at home, they have a scoring margin of +.9, and on the road, it is -0.9.

Coming off a 3-2 loss at home to the Panthers, the Lightning are hoping to bounce back today. During the initial two periods, the Lightning struggled offensively and remained without a goal, but they finally broke through with two goals in the third period. All two goals came at even strength. They finished with 29 shots on goal and had 11 turnovers.

Tampa Bay went into the game as the underdogs, but they still managed to cover the puck line despite the loss. Combining for 5 goals, the game finished below the over/under line of 6.5.

New York Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Rangers come in averaging 3.4 goals per game this season, which is 11th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 19th in the league. Coming into the game, the Rangers have 18-5 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 6-3.

This season, the Rangers have an over/under record of 17-15-2. Throughout the season, they have played 16 games that went over the 6 over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is 6.2 per game.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

In terms of their offensive performance, the Lightning are averaging 3.3 goals per game this season, putting them in the 6th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 11th in the league. Coming into the game, the Lightning have 11-9 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 6-5.

For the season, the over/under record of the Lightning’s stands at 16-18-2. They have had 18 games during the season that exceeded the 6 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.8 goals per game.

New York Team Defense

Defensively, the Rangers are currently 23rd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.5 shots per game against New York. They also are 15th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning are currently 10th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 30.9 shots per game against Tampa Bay. They also are 5th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Rangers vs Lightning Trends

• New York has played well in their previous three road games, going 2-1 straight up. In this stretch, they averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. The team also performed well vs the puck line at 3-0.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Tampa Bay has an puck line record of 2-8 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 4-6 overall in these games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Lightning have gone 6-4 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
• As the betting favorite, the Rangers have an puck line record of 3-2 in their last five games. In these matchups their, straight up record was 4-1.

Rangers vs Lightning Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Lightning to defeat the Rangers while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at -115, I’m placing a wager on the Lightning to win outright.

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

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering 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.