NHL Best Bets: Rangers vs. Hurricanes Game Picks

Two Metropolitan Division rivals will face off tonight, with the Carolina Hurricanes hosting the New York Rangers.

This will be the second time in three days these teams have faced off, with the Hurricanes getting the better of the Rangers 3-2 in the first matchup. They’ve also met two other times this season, with the Rangers posting 5-3 and 6-2 victories. The Hurricanes are listed as home favorites tonight on the moneyline at -146, while the Rangers are priced at +122. Carolina has an eight-point lead over the Rangers in the Metro. 

The Rangers have a 6-3-1 record over their last ten games and are finally starting to play well after adding some significant pieces at the deadline. The Hurricanes have won two straight and are 7-3 over that same sample size. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Rangers are expected to start Igor Shesterkin, while the Hurricanes should continue riding with Frederik Andersen. The Rangers’ star netminder has a 32-12-7 record with a .913 save percentage, while Andersen is 19-7 with a .903 save percentage. It’s hard to give a significant edge in this matchup with how they’ve played, but Shesterkin is the better goalie.

It’s hard to see the Hurricanes handling the Rangers twice in one week, especially when you factor in that New York had outscored Carolina 11-5 before this matchup. The Rangers have found some consistency that should carry over into this contest. As a result, targeting their moneyline is the direction bettors should look in at +122. 

Best Bet: Rangers moneyline (+122) 

This will be the fourth and final matchup between the clubs, which has seen them combine for five, eight, and eight goals. The total for tonight is set at 5.5, with the over priced at -128, while the under is at +104. Both franchises sit inside the top ten in goals allowed per game. Over the Rangers’ last five games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in four, while the Hurricanes have seen that in three. Even with their low total earlier this week, backing the season series trends and looking at the last five games, points to the over 5.5 tonight. 

Best Bet: Over 5.5 (-128)

Both clubs have some nice offensive pieces, even if they emphasize defensive play. Mika Zibanejad has stood out for the Rangers, leading the club with five goals and four assists over their last five games, posting 77 points in 71 games. With the great stretch of play and overall consistency that Zibanejad’s brought to the table, targeting him to light the lamp tonight has a ton of value at +205. 

Best Prop: Mika Zibanejad to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+205)