The New York Rangers and New York Islanders face off at the iconic Madison Square Garden tonight, with both teams looking to pick up a critical win to remain relevant in the NHL playoff race. The Rangers enter as the slight favorites at -125 on the moneyline, while the Islanders are just about even at +105 on the moneyline as they aim to grab an underdog victory.
Before you place a bet on this game, we’re breaking down the odds, and betting trends, and even giving you the best bet for this rivalry showdown.
The Rangers come into this game at 30-26-4. They’re holding steady in the Eastern Conference playoff race as they’re just a couple of points behind the Red Wings and Blue Jackets for a coveted wild card slot.
Their recent form has been somewhat solid as they’ve won 6 of their last 10 games while going 5-5 against the spread in that stretch. 4 of those 10 games hit the over, showing some inconsistency when it comes to total goals.
Meanwhile, the Islanders and their 27-25-7 have mirrored the Rangers' last 10 games with a 5-5 record, but they’ve been slightly better ATS at 6-4. 5 of their last 10 games hit the over, and their matchups have averaged 8.0 total goals per game, which is a bit higher than their season average. Despite this, their recent wins have only been against some of the worse teams in the NHL such as Nashville and Boston, but they’ve struggled against decent teams like Dallas and Minnesota.
The over/under for this game is set at 6 goals, and from what we’ve seen, it could be a close call.
The Rangers are playing some of their best hockey offensively as of late. They’ve scored 1.1 more goals per game over their last 10 games compared to their season average. This might not be a huge difference, but it goes to show that they’re figuring some things out as they push for the playoffs.
Artemi Panarin has 24 goals and 36 assists for 60 points and continues to drive the offense. Igor Shesterkin has been steady in the net despite an underwhelming .904 SV% which puts him 21st in the league.
One key factor that we really like about this matchup? The Rangers are a stronger team at home with a 15-13-2 record. So, playing in front of the MSG crowd should give them the boost they need against a fellow NY rival.
The Islanders’ offense has been clicking as well. In their last 10 games, they averaged 3.0 total goals per contest and did not surrender a single shutout. That’s much better than their season-long average of 2.75 which shows they’ve been pushing the pace recently.
Anders Lee with 24 goals and 43 points remains the team’s top offensive threat. If Ilya Sorokin and his .903 save percentage and 2.8 GAA can step up in the net and keep the Rangers at bay, the Isles will have a real shot at pulling off the upset, but it still might be too much.
Both teams are evenly matched on paper for the most part without any single player standing out too much. However, the Rangers have the edge offensively and are at home. They’ve also been finding the net more often lately, while the Islanders have been allowing too many high-scoring games.
With Panarin leading the charge and Shesterkin capable of making some big saves when needed, we think the Rangers should take care of business in regulation.
BettorsInsider Prediction: Rangers 4, Islanders 2
Best Best: Rangers ML
The best bet is to take the Ranger's moneyline at -125. This should be a close game so we’re going to stay away from the puck line just in case this game carries over to OT.
If you’re looking for an additional play for your bet slip, the under (6 goals) is worth a shot, but we also see this bet as a risk given how the Islanders’ recent games have played out.