Islanders vs Lightning Odds, Picks and How to Bet Game 1 – How to Find Value in Big Favorites

• The Lightning and Islanders play Game 1 of their third-round playoff series on Sunday, June 13th
• Tampa Bay defeated New York in six games in the 2020 Eastern Conference Final
• Read below for the odds, picks and best value for Game 1

The Tampa Bay Lightning are heavily favored to take a 1-0 series lead over the New York Islanders in their semifinal playoff series. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday, June 13th at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is set for 3:00 PM EST on NBC.

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The Lightning took down the Islanders in Round 3 last postseason and are expected to have their way with Barry Trotz’s club once again. The Bolts are the second favorite behind the Vegas Golden Knights in the updated Stanley Cup odds.

Should you bet the Lightning in Game 1, or do the Islanders offer underdog value?

Islanders vs Lightning Game 1 Odds

Odds as of June 12th

Bolts Have Dominated Isles

The Lightning are listed as heavy favorites to beat the Islanders in Round 3 for good reason. Tampa Bay has won 16 of the last 22 matchups against New York, including a playoff round victory in the 2020 Eastern Conference Final. The Bolts won the first two games at Amalie Arena to take a 2-0 series lead.

The Lightning are looking like a legit Stanley Cup contender once again this postseason. They defeated the Florida Panthers in six games in Round 1 before only needing five games to get past the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2. Nikita Kucherov leads the playoffs in scoring with 18 points, while Andrei Vasilevskiy ranks among the top goaltenders with a .934 save percentage.

The Lightning have elite-level talent at every position, but it’s their power play that might be their most terrifying asset. The Bolts’ power play is clicking at a whopping 41.7 percent rate this postseason. They should exploit an Isles penalty kill that is only operating at 61.5 percent efficiency.

Islanders vs Lightning Series Odds

Islanders Have Unfinished Business 

The Islanders will be looking for revenge on Tampa Bay after losing in six games to Jon Cooper’s team in last year’s Eastern Conference Final. The Isles arrived to Round 3 this year by defeating Pittsburgh in Round 1 before knocking off the Bruins in six games in the second round.

Ready for what’s next. pic.twitter.com/p1oRhYP0GR

— x – New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 11, 2021

The Islanders are typically known for their stout defense, but it’s their offense that has been making headlines this postseason. New York leads all remaining playoff teams with 3.58 goals scored per game. Top center Mathew Barzal has played a big part in that success, scoring three goals in the past four games.

New York has also one of the best goaltending tandems in the playoffs. Ilya Sorkin played a big role in helping New York eliminate Pittsburgh, while Semyon Varlamov took over against Boston and posted a .934 save percentage in the last five games. Varlamov is expected to duel with Vasilevskiy in Game 1.

Isles vs Bolts Game 1 Best Bet

The Islanders are out for retribution in this series, but they’re in tough trying to beat this Tampa Bay powerhouse at home. The Lightning went 21-7-0 at Amalie Arena during the regular season and have won four of five playoff games at home thus far. Fan capacity has been increased to 14,800 at Amalie Arena for the semifinals.

Y’all notice anything new in the stands? 👀 pic.twitter.com/A71FbBACfu

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 12, 2021

Not only are the Lightning dominant on home ice, but they’ve also won Game 1 in each of their playoff rounds thus far. Vasilevskiy is coming off a shutout, while Kucherov and Brayden Point are terrorizing opposing defenses. Don’t think too hard about this one and back the Bolts to continue their dominance on home ice in Game 1.

Pick: Lightning ML (-190)

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