NHL

NHL Betting Guide: 9/9/20

Brayden Point led the Lightning with two goals and five points in Game 1 of their series against the Islanders. Can we expect more offensive fireworks tonight?

The excitement of the Conference Finals continues on Wednesday night with the Eastern Conference series. We're starting to see a trend develop in NHL action, with favorites winning and covering the puckline in four of the last six games. It's worth keeping an eye on ahead of tonight's action!

Here are a few plays worth looking at!

Tampa Bay Lightning vs New York Islanders

Over 5.5 (+125): 1-Star Rating Out of 5
Lightning moneyline (-175): 1-Star Rating Out of 5
Lightning +1.5 (+170): 1-Star Rating Out of 5

It took just over one minute to score and a little over 10 minutes for the Tampa Bay Lightning to establish a two-goal lead in Game 1 against the New York Islanders. From that point on, there was no looking back.

Tampa Bay has bullied their way through most of the playoffs. They've won 11 of 14 games and scored first in 10 of those games. They've played with the lead most of this postseason and have trailed a grand total of 10 minutes and 23 seconds over their last five. It makes things a little challenging for the opposing team when you score first and don't relinquish the lead.

The biggest thing working in Tampa's favor is that they are still due for offensive progression. The Bolts have scored on 15.1% of their shots over their last five games, but still remain about 1.5% off their regular season shooting percentage. Tampa's production metrics are also down from regular season averages but are trending in the right direction over their last six games.

Goaltending metrics are also a cause for concern for both teams. The Islanders' goaltenders are likely in a correction phase, combining for an 83.2% save percentage over their last four games after starting the postseason with a 93.8% save percentage. They are still marginally ahead of their regular season average. Islanders fans will be hoping that Monday night was rock bottom but ongoing correction might be anticipated.

Andrei Vasilevskiy has stopped 95.2% of shots faced over his last four contests, bringing his playoff save percentage up 92.6%. His recent sample suggests that he should also expect regression over the coming games.

Tampa Bay has outclassed both of their opponents through two elimination rounds, and this series appears to be no different. Our projections show modest edges on the total and Tampa side of the moneyline and puckline wagers. Considering the recent league trends, anticipated offensive progression from Tampa and goaltending regression, I would tend to agree.

Over 5.5 and Tampa moneyline and puckline wagers are all rated as one-star plays.