Rangers vs. Bruins predictions, picks and odds for NHL on Saturday, 3/4

Pickswise provides exclusive sports betting content to Syracuse.com, including picks, analysis, tools, games and sportsbook offers to help bettors get in on the action. Please wager responsibly.

The New York Rangers start a four-game road trip when they play the Boston Bruins on Saturday afternoon. This is a big game for the Rangers as they could use the two points as they try to catch the New Jersey Devils for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Bruins, on the other hand, have been rolling through the NHL as they have a 13-point lead in the Eastern Conference over the second place Hurricanes.

With a battle between two original six teams playing on national television, our expert has the Rangers vs. Bruins predictions with odds provided by BetMGM Sportsbook.

to join BetMGM Sportsbook to claim insurance on your first bet to use on our Rangers vs. Bruins predictions, or any other game this weekend.

As we pointed out, the Rangers will be traveling to Boston to play the Bruins, which starts a four-game road trip for them. The Rangers are in a prime playoff spot, as they are currently in third place in the Metropolitan Division. However, they have their sights set on the Devils, who are currently in second place, which would give the Rangers home ice in the first round of the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Bruins have been the top team in the NHL all season. They lead all teams in the NHL by 13 points and lead the top team in the Western Conference, the Dallas Stars, by 21 points. They also haven’t taken their foot off the gas to coast until the playoffs, as they’ve won nine in a row. Look for the Bruins to keep their streak and make it 10 in a row; the best bet from our Rangers vs. Bruins predictions is on Boston’s money line.

Not many teams can say they hold the offensive advantage over the Rangers, but the Bruins are one of those teams. Even with their recent acquisition of Patrick Kane, we still give the edge to the Bruins attack. In the last month, the Rangers rank sixth in goals per game with a mark of 3.77, but the Bruins rank first as they average 4.18 goals per game over the same time frame. They even do a better job of creating scoring chances, as the Bruins rank just ahead of the Rangers in expected goals since February 1.

Defensively, the gap between the teams is even larger. The Bruins do a better job of keeping pressure away from their net, ranking just outside the top 10 in expected goals against whereas the Rangers rank below average. As for keeping the puck out of the net, the difference is massive. Since the start of February, the Rangers rank 24th in goals allowed per game with a mark of 3.54, while the Bruins rank first in the same category, only allowing 1.91 goals per game.

Finally, just looking at the recent play of these teams shows you how much better the Bruins are than the Rangers. The Bruins are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games while scoring 41 goals and allowing just 19 goals in that time frame. The Rangers, on the other hand, are 5-4-1 in their last 10 contests, scoring 35 goals while giving up 39 goals.

With the Bruins being the better overall team over the Rangers, we think the Bruins could control this game from puck drop. Even though the puck line is a very tempting bet, we still think this could come down to a one-goal game, so we’ll back the Bruins money line with confidence for the best bet from our Rangers vs. Bruins predictions.

With the Bruins on a winning streak and having the better team, our Rangers vs. Bruins predictions could be the perfect opportunity to register at BetMGM Sportsbook and take advantage of their latest offer. All it takes is to sign up and you will unlock BetMGM’s first-bet insurance.

Simply sign up for a new BetMGM Sportsbook account and the first-bet insurance promo is already loaded because there is no bonus code required. From there, make a deposit of at least $10 and then make a bet of at least $10 on any game, like the Bruins money line. If your first bet is unsuccessful, there is no need to worry, as you will get bonus bets credited back to your account, equivalent to your first bet, up to $1,000.

That’s all there is to it, and you can to join BetMGM in time for the game.

Patrick Kane was traded to the New York Rangers on February 28, three days before the trade deadline. Even though Kane didn’t play on March 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, he did make his Ranger debut the day after at home against the Ottawa Senators, where he played just under 20 minutes without recording a point.

As for his road debut against the Bruins on Saturday, all signs point to him lacing up the skates for their afternoon game. He is slated on the second line, playing with Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin, while getting top power play unit minutes.

If you’d like to back our Bruins money line pick from our Rangers vs. Bruins predictions, that line is currently listed with -175 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook, while the Rangers come with a +145 price for the same market. A $175 wager on Boston profits $100 as long as they win the game in any fashion, while a $100 wager on New York nets you $145 of winnings if they’re able to win on the road.

The total (over/under) is listed at six goals with +100 odds to the over and -120 odds for the under. Remember, you can bet on any market after joining BetMGM with first-bet insurance up to $1,000.

If you or a loved one has questions or needs to talk to a professional about gambling, call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit 1800gambler.net