NHL betting odds are on the board as the Stanley Cup chase continues with Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Tampa Bay Lightning can put a stranglehold on the series with a win over the New York Islanders on Friday night.
Multiple oddsmakers provided insights on NHL opening odds and early odds movement, sharp money and public betting for Friday’s contest. Covers will update this action report with NHL sharp picks vs. public bets and odds movement throughout the day.
NHL odds movement
UPDATED 7:55 P.M. ET FRIDAY: FanDuel had the Lightning at -160 early this afternoon, but the line is now -135, much of it likely due to news that leading scorer Brayden Point is out with an injury tonight. New York moved from +135 to +115.
UPDATE 6:15 P.M. ET FRIDAY: At DraftKings, the Lightning opened -150, crept to -159 and dipped to -155 Thursday night, but there was just a 12-cent move on Tampa Bay to -143. The corresponding move for New York was 10 cents, from +133 to +123.
UPDATE 3 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Tampa Bay opened -165 at FanDuel, briefly got to -170 and is now -160, with New York +135.
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Tampa Bay led New York for only nine seconds in Game 2, but it was the right nine seconds, as a very late goal gave the Lightning a 2-1 victory and a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. The SuperBook opened Game 3 at Lightning -155/Islanders +140, with a modest move Thursday night to -153/+138.
The total opened at 5 (Over -135), and that’s where it remained through Thursday for this 8 p.m. ET Friday puck drop.
NHL sharp money
Check back for updates throughout the day on sharp bets coming in for Friday’s NHL game.
NHL public betting
UPDATE 7:55 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Earlier today at FanDuel, bettors were solidly on the Tampa Bay puckline, laying 1.5 goals, before the Point news broke. That support is still there in ticket count, at 72 percent, but the money has withered up, with just 25 percent of puckline play on the Lightning. And the Islanders continue to draw a big bulk of moneyline play, at 71 percent of bets and 77 percent of money.
UPDATE 6:15 P.M. ET FRIDAY: Tampa Bay is getting 61 percent of moneyline bets at DraftKings, but the handle is running both ways, with New York taking 51 percent of dollars. The total of 5 is attracting 60 percent of bets and 78 percent of cash to the Over.
UPDATE 3 P.M. ET FRIDAY: FanDuel Sportsbook moneyline bettors expect the Islanders to bounce back tonight against the Lightning. New York is landing 69 percent of tickets and 77 percent of money. However, there's clearly public support for Tampa Bay -1.5 on the puckline, with the Lightning attracting 73 percent of bets and 79 percent of money.
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With Game 2 as close as it could be, ending on the final-seconds Tampa Bay goal, it should come as no surprise that Game 3 is almost dead two-way in Covers Consensus. As of late Thursday night, the underdog Islanders were drawing 51 percent of picks to bounce back in Game 3.
On the total of 5, 60 percent of early Covers Consensus picks were on the Over.
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