The Tampa Bay Lightning open their 2026-27 season against the New York Rangers on Thursday, Oct. 1, at 7 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden. It is the first game of the year for both teams, and it is a regional broadcast rather than a national one: MSG Networks carries it in the New York market and The Spot Tampa Bay 66 in Florida, with out of market fans able to stream it on ESPN+ through NHL Power Play.
Odds
Away +3.5 | total 5.5
| Sportsbook | Away spread | Home spread | Total | Away ML | Home ML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DraftKings | +3.5 (+1800) | -3.5 (-6500) | 5.5 (-410) | +3500 | -50000 |
| Polymarket | -1.5 (+199900) | +1.5 (-199900) | 6.5 (+199900) | +199900 | -199900 |
| BetMGM | +3.5 (+1850) | -3.5 (-10000) | 6.5 (+1050) | +3300 | -10000 |
| Fanatics | +3.5 (-265) | -3.5 (+190) | 5.5 (-120) | +4000 | -20000 |
| Caesars | 5.5 (-205) | +1500 | -10000 | ||
| Kalshi | +6.5 (-9900) | -6.5 (+9900) | 8.5 (+9900) | +9900 | -19900 |
| BetRivers | -1.5 (+170) | +1.5 (-220) | 5.5 (-136) | -152 | +125 |
| FanDuel | +3.5 (+1000) | -3.5 (-50000) | 6.5 (+700) | +7500 | -100000 |
Lines from BALLDONTLIE and refreshed automatically. Numbers move, so confirm at your sportsbook before betting.
Start Time, TV Channel and How to Watch
| Date | Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | MSG Networks (New York), The Spot Tampa Bay 66 (Tampa) |
| Streaming | ESPN+ (out of market) |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden, New York |
Two Season Openers at the Garden
Tampa Bay opens on the road before its home opener against Washington on Saturday, Oct. 3, and the Rangers begin a season the networks expect to be a bounce back year, with the fourth most national TV games in the league. Kucherov, Point and Hedman against Shesterkin, Panarin and Fox is as good a matchup as opening night offers.
Related
Tampa Bay Lightning schedule · New York Rangers schedule · Nikita Kucherov stats · Igor Shesterkin stats · Artemi Panarin stats · NHL odds today · NHL player props · NHL scores today