The New York Rangers try to stave off elimination against the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference Finals playoff series. Tampa leads the series 3-2. Puck drop from Amalie Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we look at the Rangers vs. Lightning Game 6 odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
Tampa really turned the tides of this series the last 2 games. They pulled off a 4-1 victory at home in Game 4 Tuesday and took the Rangers’ hearts with a 3-1 road victory Thursday. Tampa trailed 1-0 before tying it with under 3 minutes to go in the 2nd period. RW Ondrej Palat scored on a deflection with 1:50 to go in the game to take the lead, and the Lightning put in an empty-net goal to seal it less than a minute later.
That was the Rangers’ first home loss since Game 1 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the opening round. Tampa lost its first home game in the playoffs too and has not lost on home ice since. Rangers C Mika Zibanejad doesn’t have a point in the last 2 games after snapping an 8-game point streak. That has to change if the Rangers want to force a Game 7.
Rangers at Lightning odds and lines
- Money line: Rangers +155 (bet $100 to win $155) | Lightning -190 (bet $190 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Rangers +1.5 (-170) | Lightning -1.5 (+133)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +120 | U: -150)
Rangers at Lightning projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (10-8, 2.62 GAA, .929 SV% – playoffs) vs Andrei Vasilevskiy (11-5, 2.35 GAA, .927 SV%, 1 SO – playoffs)
Those chants of “Igor’s better” didn’t ring true in Game 5, but he was pretty good as he stopped 24 of 26 shots. He hasn’t allowed more than 3 goals in 15 straight postseason games, but he can’t score on the other end too.
Vassy has saved 86 of 90 shots his way in the last 3 games. He has been a little better than Shesterkin, and now his team is skating with supreme confidence. Vasilevskiy is 6-1 with a 1.79 GAA and .946 SV% at home in these playoffs.
Money line
The books think this one is over with the -190 tag on Tampa. I really feel like the Rangers are stunned from the late heroics, and they’re staggering for the knockout blow. If this gets to overtime, all bets are off, though. Take LIGHTNING IN REGULATION (INCL. TIE) (-116).
Against the spread
Tampa has outscored the Rangers 7-2 in the last two meetings and have won 4 of 6 home wins by 2 or more goals. This is a game of momentum, and Tampa closes it out. I’d need more value than this to risk more than a half-unit, but take LIGHTNING -1.5 (+133).
Over/Under
There are all sorts of Under trends here, and these teams could just empty the tank so go lightly either way here. The Under has cashed in 4 in a row in this series. The Under is 4-0 in the last 4 Lightning were favored and favored at home. It has also cashed in the last 4 the Rangers were underdogs.
LEAN UNDER 5.5 (-150) or wait until the puck drops and place a live bet. LW Pat Maroon scored 2:38 into Game 4 in Tampa, though, so don’t get too greedy on the return you want.
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