Lightning-Islanders Semifinal Odds

The 2021 NHL Playoffs are down to just four teams, and with semifinal action beginning on Sunday, June 13, BetRivers.com is proud to provide a wide variety of Lightning-Islanders Semifinal odds, series bets, props, teasers, and futures. The Tampa Bay Lightning advanced to the semifinals by defeating the No. 2 seed Florida Panthers in the first round and the No. 1 seed Carolina Hurricanes in the quarterfinals. The defending Stanley Cup champs now face off against the New York Islanders in a rematch of the 2020 Eastern Conference Final.

The Islanders made it this far by dispatching the No. 1 seed Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round, and besting the No. 3 seed Boston Bruins in the quarterfinals. The Lightning-Islanders semifinal odds currently favor Tampa Bay, as the reigning champs are -265 to advance to the Stanley Cup Final, with the Islanders currently +220 to advanced ahead of Game 1 on Sunday afternoon.

Longtime broadcaster and gambling expert David Tuchman is here to detail the Lightning-Islanders Semifinal odds and break down the picks and predictions he’s riding with until a team hoists the Stanley Cup.

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Lightning-Islanders Semifinal Odds

#3 TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (8-3) vs. #4 NEW YORK ISLANDERS (8-4)
Odds to win Stanley Cup: Lightning +175, Islanders +600
Odds to Advance: Lightning -265, Islanders +220
Click here for the full list of Lightning-Islanders Series odds.

LIGHTNING-ISLANDERS SERIES SCORE ODDS
4 games: Lightning +600, Islanders +2000
5 games: Lightning +350, Islanders +1100
6 games: Lightning +425, Islanders +700
7 games: Lightning +450, Islanders +750

LIGHTNING-ISLANDERS GAME 1 ODDS
DATE/TIME: Sunday, June 13. 3 p.m. ET. NBC
MONEYLINE: Lightning -190 ML, Islanders +160 ML
PUCKLINE: Lightning -1 (-117), Islanders +1 (-103)
OVER/UNDER: 5.5 (+120/-143)
Click here for the full list of Lightning-Islanders Game 1 odds

In a rematch of last year’s semifinal, the Tampa Bay Lightning will once again be prohibitive favorites over the New York Islanders. Last year, Tampa defeated the Isles in overtime in Game 6 to wrap up the series. Tampa went on to win the Stanley Cup last year.

Can the Islanders take the next step and give Tampa a run for their money? Most of the pundits don’t give New York much of a chance and that’s understandable. Tampa has the star power (Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman), they have the depth and they might have the best goaltender on the planet (Andrei Vasilevskiy)

If the Islanders are going to keep this series tight, it’ll be because:

  • Their goaltending (Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin) matches Vasilevskiy.
  • Jean-Gabriel Pageau continues to shut down the opposing team’s best players and best lines.
  • The Islander’s power-play produces.

Can it happen? Absolutely? Is it the most likely outcome? No.

The fact of the matter is that the New York Islanders were actually better during the regular season at full strength or 5v5. The Islanders had a better expected and actual goals rate than Tampa Bay this season, but Tampa didn’t have their superstar, Nikita Kucherov, during the season. He returned just in time for the playoffs and his impact has been substantial as one might expect.

I believe Tampa wins this series more often than not. My biggest fear for the Islanders is their penalty kill. What was a strength during the regular season has been a liability in the playoffs. Quite inconvenient considering how good Tampa’s power play is. If the Isles find themselves in the sin bin too often and their penalty kill isn’t better, this series could be over in five games.

From a betting perspective, as usual, I’ll be looking for opportunities throughout the series – oftentimes, the best value comes after Game 1 or 2. My gut tells me this Islander team has something special going on. I remember feeling this when watching the St. Louis Blues go on their run a couple of years ago.
I’m betting on the Islanders to win the series in six (+700) and seven (+750) because I can’t envision a scenario where the Isles win it in fewer games and betting on those two outcomes gives me a better payout than betting on the Islanders to win the series at +220.

LIGHTNING-ISLANDERS SEMIFINALS SCHEDULE

Game 1: Islanders at Lightning. Sunday, June 13. 3 p.m. ET. (NBC)
Game 2: Islanders at Lightning. Tuesday, June 15. 8 p.m. ET. (NBCSN)
Game 3: Lightning at Islanders. Thursday, June 17. 8 p.m. ET. (USA)
Game 4: Lightning at Islanders. Saturday, June 19. 8 p.m. ET. (USA)
Game 5*: Islanders at Lightning. Monday, June 21. 8 p.m. ET. (NBCSN)
Game 6*: Lightning at Islanders. Wednesday, June 23. 8 p.m. ET. (NBCSN)
Game 7*: Islanders at Lightning. Friday, June 25. 8 p.m. ET. (NBCSN)