The first game of what is expected to be an intense series is taking place tonight in the Big Apple. The Tampa Bay Lighting are coming to town and the New York Rangers will be looking out to make their first Stanley Cup Finals since 2014 and just the second time in 30 years.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Lightning come into this series as back-to-back Stanley Cup champions and looking to become one of the exclusive teams to win three in a row. Check out what NHL prop bets we are taking for tonight’s action.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers
Wednesday, June 01, 2022 – 08:00 PM EDT at Madison Square Garden
NHL Prop Bet: Both Teams to Score 2+ Goals
The main reasoning behind this opening prop bet is all about the NHL odds as they are at (-140). It’s a lot of juice to give up but we are happy to make this play. Generally, this market is priced up around -300, and yes game ones are usually tight.
In addition, these two teams don’t exactly meet the requirements either with the Lighting seeing this bet go 0-5 in the previous five games and the Rangers 2-3 in their last five games.
Understandably it’s a risk but two goals can come out of nowhere in the NHL, we predict a 3-2 win for either team tonight.
NHL Prop Pick: Both Teams 2+ Goals Each (-140) with BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
NHL Prop Bet: Mika Zibanejad | The Rangers
Swedish-born Mika Zibanejad has become one of our hot players to tail in these playoffs as he has racked up 19 points, the 3rd most in the entire playoffs behind Conor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.
Zibanejad has taken almost 3 shots per game in the postseason and when we look at his shots on home ice, they are hitting an average of 3.2 per game. He took an average of 3.5 shots per game against the Lightning in the regular season.
The Rangers have taken a lot of shots on net this playoffs, especially on home ice so we are more than pleased to lay a little juice here on Zibanejad’s shots total to go over.
NHL Prop Pick: Mika Zibanejad Over 2.5 Shots (-120) with Everygame (visit our Everygame Review)
NHL Prop Bet: Victor Hedman | The Lightning
Victor Hedman has been the Lighting's leading shot taker this playoffs with a total of 39 in 11 games played, which works out as almost 4 shots per game. Hedman averaged 3 shots against the Rangers in the regular season and has cashed this market in 8 of his 11 playoff games.
Hedman has taken the 11th most amount of shots in the playoffs to date and the second most for a defender. Hedman has a career total of 143 points in 98 playoff games as well as a very impressive +19 plus/minus record.
Although we are laying a little more juice for Hedman to see 3 shots on the net compared to Zibanejad, we are more than happy to do so with one of the best-attacking defensemen in the NHL right now.
NHL Prop Pick: Victor Hedman Over 2.5 Shots (-135) with BetOnline
NHL Prop Bet: First Goal
We really like the value on no goal to be scored before the 15th minute of the game. Interestingly this bet would have gone just 2-8 in both the Rangers' previous 5 home games and the Lighting's previous 5 road games.
With this being Lightning vs. Rangers Game 1 of the conference final, we are expecting a very cagey start to this game and we honestly wouldn’t be one bit surprised to see only 4/5 shots on net come the 15th minute of the game.
Nonetheless, we won’t let that deter us as we do expect a low-scoring affair, and let’s be honest both teams have two of, the best goaltenders in the NHL with the Lighting's Andrei Vasilevski and the Rangers' Igor Shesterkin. Both goaltenders ranked 1st and 10th in the overall regular-season rankings.
Although this play might seem like we are contradicting ourselves with our first prop, in fact, it’s a sort of hedge, so there's also the possibility of both bets cashing.
NHL Prop Pick: 1st Goal After 14:59 (+220) with BetOnline
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
