New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Pick & Prediction 12/28/24
Betting on today’s Rangers and Lightning game? Catch the action at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL, as the Lightning hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 6 goals, and the Lightning are -1.5 goal favorite to win at home against the Rangers.
NEW YORK RANGERS VS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING BETTING PICK
The Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5
This game will be played at Amalie Arena at 7:00 ET on Saturday, December 28th.
WHY BET THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING:
- With a 1.5-goal advantage on the spread, our projections favor the Lightning to secure a 4-3 victory.
- Take the Lightning on the moneyline
- On the spread, we like Rangers (+1.5)
Can the Rangers Grab a Win in Tampa?
The Rangers moved closer to .500 with a 5-2 road win over the Islanders, bringing their record to 16-17-1. As -1.5 goal favorites, they covered the puck line, and the total of 7 goals surpassed the pre-game line of 6.
Four different players scored for the Rangers in this one. Artemi Panarin led the way with two goals, including one with 3:23 left in the third period to put the game out of reach.
Artemi Panarin led the Rangers with two goals, including his 9th of the season on an empty net. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, while Vincent Trocheck added his 4th. Adam Edstrom also found the net for the first time this season.
Mika Zibanejad contributed with three assists, bringing his total to 8 for the season. The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal and scored once on the power play. They also recorded 14 giveaways.
Defensively, the Rangers will look to carry over their performance from their previous game, where they allowed just 2 goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin recorded 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage, and the Rangers’ defense added 10 takeaways, 19 hits, and 18 blocks. New York will look to tighten up in the second period, where they gave up both of their goals, including one with just 8 seconds left in the period.
Will the Lightning Make it Happen at Home?
Tampa Bay fell to 19-11-2 with a 7-4 road loss to the Jets. The Lightning were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.
After leading 2-0 in the first period, the Lightning allowed the Jets to score seven of the next nine goals. Four different players scored for Tampa Bay in the loss.
In their 7-4 loss to the Jets, the Lightning fired 30 shots on goal, with four finding the back of the net. Brandon Hagel opened the scoring with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point added his 8th on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee netted his 4th, and Nikita Kucherov scored his 10th.
The Lightning had 8 giveaways and recorded 4 assists. Jake Guentzel picked up his 8th assist of the season, and Nick Paul added his 7th. Nikita Kucherov’s goal was unassisted.
After tying the game at 4-4 in the third period, Tampa Bay’s defense faltered, allowing three consecutive goals to the Jets. The first came just 7:38 into the period, followed by two empty-netters. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage, but the Lightning’s defense also committed 8 giveaways.