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The Tampa Bay Lightning (27-18-5) put their three-game winning streak on the line when they visit the New York Rangers (31-16-3) in one of two NHL games air live on TNT on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
GAME DAY. pic.twitter.com/qaU3H3KXla
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) February 7, 2024
Tonight marks the Lightning’s first game since the All-Star Break after winning each of their last three outings by identical 6-3 final scores. The Rangers, meanwhile, returned to the ice on Monday with a hard-fought 2-1 overtime win against the Colorado Avalanche.
There are two potential MVP candidates in attendance tonight, too. New York’s Artemi Panarin owns the sixth-best odds (+2000) to win the Hart Memorial Trophy while Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov sits second at +350, per BetOnline’s futures markets.
Tonight’s exciting matchup between juggernauts is also filled with betting opportunities, so let’s dive into my Lightning vs. Rangers predictions and best bets.
Lightning vs Rangers NHL Betting Tonight (2/7)
Lightning vs Rangers Matchup Information
- Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning (27-18-5, 10-13-2 Away) vs. New York Rangers (31-16-3, 16-7-0 Home)
- Venue & Location: Madison Square Garden (New York, NY)
- Date: Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024
- Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
- How to Watch Lightning vs. Rangers: TNT
Lightning vs Rangers NHL Betting Odds
Rangers vs. Rangers odds are courtesy of BetOnline as of Wednesday, Feb. 7 at 10:52 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.
Lightning vs Rangers Puck Line
- Tampa Bay Lightning+1.5 (-215)
- New York Rangers -1.5 (+185)
Rangers vs Lightning Over/Under
- Over 6.5 Goals (-101)
- Under 6.5 Goals (-115)
Lightning vs Rangers Moneyline
- Tampa Bay Lightning (+113)
- New York Rangers (-127)
NHL Best Bets & Picks Today
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Lightning vs Rangers NHL Betting Trends
- Tampa Bay is 8-1 straight up in its last nine games.
- The Rangers are 6-1 straight up in their last seven home games vs. Tampa Bay.
- The total hit the Over in four of Tampa Bay’s last six games.
- The total hit the Over in five of the Rangers’ last seven games vs. the Atlantic Division.
- The total hit the Under in seven of the last nine Lightning-Rangers matchups.
Lightning vs Rangers Prediction & Pick (2/7): Eastern Juggernauts Collide
It’s safe to say that no one would be surprised if these teams collide in the Eastern Conference Finals this postseason. After all, the Rangers have the fourth-best odds (+500) to represent the East at the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Final while the Lightning sit seventh (+1400).
That’s the future, though, and it’s time to focus on the regular season. These clubs have already collided once this campaign, resulting in a 5-1 victory for the Rangers on Dec. 30 as Panarin scored a hat trick while Vincent Trocheck tallied a four-point night.
The Rangers are now 3-1 SU in their last four encounters with the Lightning, notching each win by a multi-goal margin. Furthermore, New York is 6-1 SU with a plus-2.1 average goal margin in its last seven home games against Tampa Bay.
Nevertheless, let’s not forget that the Lightning were on a roll before the All-Star Break, winning three consecutive games 18-9 on aggregate. Kucherov leads the way with nine points in those contests while six of his teammates also performed at a point-per-game pace.
The Lightning’s offense is surging at the moment. Do the Rangers have what it takes to slow them down?
The Lightning haven’t shown a ton of consistency on the road lately, though. They’ve alternated between wins and losses in their last 12 road contests, going 6-6 SU during that stretch.
On the flip side, the Rangers are a promising 6-3 SU in their last nine outings at Madison Square Garden, which includes Monday’s victory over the Avalanche.
Speaking of which, it’ll be interesting to see if New York goaltender Jonathan Quick can build off the win against Colorado. The veteran netminder has played to mixed results recently, going 2-4-1 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .906 save percentage in his last seven starts.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy is 7-1-0 with a 2.50 GAA and .907 SV% in his eight previous appearances. He’s also won five of his last eight starts against the Rangers.
Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy is 5-3 SU in his last eight games vs. the Rangers.
In a game that could truly go either way, I’m taking the Rangers to win at home. The Lightning have been phenomenal, however, they haven’t played a game in nearly two weeks and could be rusty, whereas the Rangers just defeated a strong Avalanche club two nights ago. It’ll be a close one, but I see New York having the edge tonight — especially with the crowd on its side.
With that being said, let’s keep things simple with an outright bet. There’s some decent value to be had with the Rangers at -127 on the moneyline, so let’s lock it in before the line moves anymore.
Lightning vs Rangers Prediction: NYR wins
Best Lightning vs Rangers NHL Bet: NYR ML (-127)
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Best Lightning vs Rangers NHL Player Prop (2/7)
As far as the best Lightning vs. Rangers player prop goes, I siding with Nikita Kucherov to record at least two points.
Kucherov heads into tonight’s contest leading the NHL with 85 points through 49 games. He’s registered 26 points across his last 13 outings alone, finishing nine of those contests with multi-point efforts — including each of the last three.
Considering how he also has points in nine straight meetings against the Rangers, I can easily see Kucherov recording at least two tonight.
