Rangers vs. Stars prediction: NHL odds, picks, best bets
The New York Rangers continued their torrid start to the 2023-24 NHL season with a come-from-behind victory over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.
The Blueshirts are now 10-0-1 in their last 11 games and have the second-best record in the NHL, behind only the Boston Bruins.
The Rangers will kickoff a three-game road trip with a tilt in Dallas on Monday night.
The Stars are a -130 favorite at the time of writing.
(8 p.m. ET. ESPN+)
Just about everything is going right for the Rangers on the ice right now.
The Blueshirts rank first in shots against, second in goals against average, fifth in goal differential, second in team save percentage, third in shooting percentage, second in power play percentage and eighth in penalty killing.
On the surface, the Rangers look like a legitimate contender that relies on defensive structure and all-world goaltending to keep things tidy while their elite power play and clinical playmakers provide the scoring.
The Blueshirts aren’t posting terrific 5-on-5 numbers — they rank 15th in goal difference and 20th in expected goal rate — but this is a familiar formula for this team.
The Rangers don’t need to tilt the ice at 5-on-5 to win games because they’re elite on special teams, finish the chances they create at 5-on-5 and their goaltending is among the best in the NHL.
While the Stars have some similar strengths to the Rangers, Dallas has been the stronger 5-on-5 team so far this season.
The Stars rank 12th in goal difference at even strength, but they’re top-5 in both expected goals and high-danger chance percentage.
Dallas’ goaltenders rank fifth league-wide with a .915 save percentage and the Stars boast the second-best penalty kill in the NHL at the moment.
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On paper, there is very little separating these two teams. Both teams have plenty of gamebreakers offensively, but their respective defenses are what drives the bus.
This projects to be a tight contest with very little wiggle room for either side. With two elite goaltenders set to start it’s hard to see either side running away with this one.
That sets us up nicely for a punt on the game to go to overtime.
The Bet: 60-minute draw (+340, FanDuel)
