Look for Lightning to strike in Game 2 vs. Rangers

The Celtics took Game 1 of the NBA Finals while Colorado surprisingly shut out Edmonton in a 4-0 win to take a 2-0 lead in the NHL Western Conference Final. Just another day of postseason betting. Our Friday night consists of just one playoff game, so let's dig in.

Tampa Bay looks to right the ship against New York - We correctly bet on rust being the prevailing factor over the Lightning's rest, predicting a sluggish start and a Rangers win. New York delivered, scoring first and winning 6-2, but we're not banking on that outcome again. The Lightning's goalie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, is 18-0 after postseason losses in the past three years. This widely cited statistic has been making its rounds, but just because more are aware of it doesn't mean the trend can't continue. Tampa Bay has shown an incredible ability to bounce back in the playoffs, and we like the Bolts to do exactly that tonight. The best odds we've found for Tampa's moneyline are -125 on BetMGM, but many sportsbooks have the Bolts to win around -130. We have a few prop plays for tonight's game as well, notably top-line center Anthony Cirelli to record a point at +120. Cirelli was involved in both of the Lightning's goals on Wednesday, and skating alongside Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov should help his chances of being involved again.

Tips for the weekend

While Bark Bets is a Monday-Friday newsletter, the sports world by no means slows down over the weekend. Prior to next hearing from us, we will have seen Game 3s in both NHL series and Game 2 of the NBA Finals.

Consider backing the Oilers to grab a game in this series against the Avalanche. Their goaltending has been far stronger when skating in Edmonton, allowing only 2.17 goals per game in six postseason games at home. Shot data also suggests the Oilers should see an uptick. Edmonton is +105 to win Game 3 on Saturday night.

Boston came out hot in Game 1, with a three-point barrage in the fourth quarter powering a 120-108 win on the road. Sportsbooks are projecting a Golden State win on Sunday, with the Warriors four-point favorites as of this writing. For our regular readers, you'll know how often we've backed the Celtics. After winning despite only 12 points from Jayson Tatum, we're heavily considering betting their moneyline at +150.

In other news...

Potentially new role emerging for Saquon Barkley - Reports coming out of Giants' camp are that running back Saquon Barkley is getting heavy work as a receiver in the offense. Barkley himself said yesterday that 2022 feels like a fresh start. If you're feeling daring, you can bet on a big year from Barkley by betting on him to win Offensive Player of the Year at +8000.
 
Phillies fire Joe Girardi - Manager Joe Girardi barely made it into June, as Philadelphia fired him Friday morning after just a little longer than two seasons at the helm. The 22-29 start and stretches of uninspired play ultimately did him in, and bench coach Rob Thomson will step in as interim manager for the rest of the season. If you believe this was just the spark the Phillies needed, you can bet Philadelphia to make the playoffs at +265. The roster certainly has talent, and there's still four months to go. We like it.
 
Inaugural Enjoy Illinois 300 headlines NASCAR's weekend - The first ever Enjoy Illinois 300 hits the tracks on Sunday, making for an intriguing betting event given the lack of course history. Kyle Larson is the betting favorite at +800, but our attention is on Ross Chastain at +850. Having already won two races this year, Chastain is building up quite the season, and we'll back his momentum in this inaugural race.

Today's Bark Bets is written by Griffin Carroll