Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Rangers Betting Pick & Prediction 4/17/25
Betting on today’s Lightning and Rangers game? Catch the action at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY, as the Rangers hosts this showdown at 7:00 ET on ESPN+. The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 6 goals, and the Rangers are -1.5 goal favorite to win at home against the Lightning.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS NEW YORK RANGERS BETTING PICK
The Pick: New York Rangers -1.5
This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 7:00 ET on Thursday, April 17th.
WHY BET THE NEW YORK RANGERS:
- Looking at our projections, the Rangers are expected to take down the Lightning by a score of 4-2.
- Take the Rangers on the moneyline
- The Rangers should also cover at -1.5
Can The Lightning Secure a Win at New York?
Tampa Bay fell to 47-26-8 after a 7-4 road loss to the Jets. The Lightning were underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals. The 11 combined goals surpassed that mark.
The Lightning held a 2-0 lead early, but their defense couldn’t hold up, allowing four unanswered goals. Four different players scored for Tampa Bay in the loss.
Brandon Hagel got things going for the Lightning, scoring his 7th goal of the season at 13:11 in the first period. Brayden Point followed with his 8th goal, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal of the year in the second period, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th goal, which tied the game 4-4 in the third period.
The Lightning took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They scored twice in the first period, added another in the second, and found the net for a fourth time in the third period.
Despite taking a 4-3 lead over the Jets, the Lightning’s defense gave up the final four goals of the game, including two empty-netters. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%.
Can New York Pull Off a Home Win?
The Rangers moved above .500 with a 5-2 victory over the Islanders. Entering the game as -1.5 goal favorites, New York covered the puck line with ease. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined 7 goals pushed the game over the line, bringing the Rangers’ record to 38-36-7.
Four different players contributed to the scoring for the Rangers, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with two goals. New York jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Islanders responded, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third period.
Artemi Panarin led the way for the Rangers with two goals, including his 9th of the season on an empty net and his 8th on a power play. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, which came shorthanded. Vincent Trocheck added his 4th goal, while Adam Edstrom found the net for the first time this season.
Mika Zibanejad picked up three assists, bringing his total to 8 for the year. The Rangers took 40 shots on goal and recorded 14 giveaways.
New York’s defense will look to build on a solid performance in their previous game, where they allowed just two goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage. The Rangers’ defense also contributed 10 takeaways, 19 hits, and 18 blocks. After giving up a late goal in the 2nd period, they shut out the Islanders in the 3rd.