The New York Rangers (16-17-1) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (19-11-2) on Saturday, December 28th. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa and televised on ESPN+. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lightning are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jets. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Rangers vs Lightning

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

With a 5-2 win over the Islanders, the Rangers improved to 16-17-1 on the season. As -1.5 goal favorites, New York covered the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.

Four different Rangers found the net in this one. Artemi Panarin led the way with two goals, including one in the third period to seal the win.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Tampa Bay’s record dropped to 19-11-2 after a 7-4 road loss to the Jets. The Lightning held a 2-0 lead in the first period, but Winnipeg scored seven of the next nine goals. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the 6.5 goal line.

Four different players scored for the Lightning in the game. Nikita Kucherov tied the game at 4-4 in the third period before the Jets responded with three unanswered goals, including two empty-netters.

New York Offense Breakdown

Artemi Panarin scored twice for the Rangers in their 5-2 win over the Islanders, netting his 8th goal on a power play and later adding his 9th on an empty net. Adam Edstrom also found the net, marking his 1st goal of the season.

Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, while Vincent Trocheck added his 4th. The Rangers took 40 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways.

Lightning Offense Breakdown

Tampa Bay scored 4 goals on 30 shots in their 7-4 loss to the Jets. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring with his 7th goal of the season, followed by Brayden Point’s 8th, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th.

The Lightning had 8 giveaways and recorded 4 assists in the game. Jake Guentzel picked up his 8th assist of the season, while Nick Paul earned his 7th. Kucherov’s goal was unassisted, as was Hagel’s opening goal.

New York Team Defense

Defensively, the Rangers will look to carry over their 3rd period performance from their previous game, where they didn’t allow a goal and had 10 takeaways. Igor Shesterkin finished with 35 saves and a 94.6% save percentage. He’ll be looking to bounce back after allowing a late goal with just 8 seconds left in the 2nd period.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning struggled late, allowing three goals in the third period, including two empty-netters, leading to a 7-4 loss. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, while the defense added 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

Rangers vs Lightning Trends

• In their last ten games away from home, the Rangers have a straight up record of 3-7 while going 2-8 vs. the spread. The team averaged 2 goals per game in this stretch.
• Across the Lightning last ten home games, the team averaged 4 goals per game while allowing 2. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 6-4, while going 6-4 straight-up.
• Looking back on the team’s last ten games as the underdog, the Lightning have a straight up record of 4-6. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 5-5.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Rangers have a straight up record of 3-7 and an puck line mark of 1-9.

Rangers vs Lightning Prediction

For a moneyline bet, I’m backing the Lightning to secure a victory over the Rangers at home. With the moneyline currently set at -166, I’m locking in my bet on the Lightning straight-up.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Rangers to cover. Even in the event of a Lightning victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Rangers should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing 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.