The Tampa Bay Lightning saved their season in a way with their 3-2 win in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final vs. the New York Rangers on Sunday afternoon. Ondrej Palat was the hero in Game 3, scoring in the final minute to give the Lightning a win to make the series 2-1 Rangers. We enter a crucial Game 4 on Tuesday night in Tampa. Let’s take a look at the lines and odds and make some picks.
All odds come courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.
Rangers vs. Lightning: Game 4 predictions
Puck line: NYR +1.5 (-165), TB -1.5 (+145)
Goal total: 5.5
Moneyline odds: NYR +155, TB -180
Goal total pick: Under 5.5 (-125)
The past two games have gone under 5.5 goals, with both finishing 3-2. Game 1 feels more like an outlier at this point. We shouldn’t see more scoring going forward. If anything, we should see games get tighter. At home in a game that is very close to must-win for the Bolts, the mistakes should be limited. Also consider how goalies perform as series progress. Both Igor Shesterkin and Andrei Vasilevskiy should be at the top of their game. The under is the safer way to go.
Moneyline or puck line pick: Lightning -1.5 (+145)
At this point, there really isn’t a ton of value in the ML. I’d rather wait in-game on the Lightning ML if they end up falling behind early to the Rangers (or vice versa). Lightning -180 down 2-1 in the series is more of a testament to the situation the defending champs are in. Maybe we take a long look at Rangers ML since they’ve been the stronger team through three games. This feels like the spot Vasilevskiy puts together a complete game, and the Bolts lock things down. My thinking is 2-0 shutout or 3-1 on an empty-net goal late.
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