Hurricanes vs Rangers Prediction, Betting Odds, and Our Best Bet

The Carolina Hurricanes head to Madison Square Garden tonight to face off against the New York Rangers in a huge Metropolitan Division showdown. Carolina has taken the first 2 meetings this season, and they’ll look to extend their dominance against a New York team missing some key players to their lineup.

With both teams fighting for playoff positioning, this matchup will undoubtedly deliver some intensity and with that comes some really solid bets.

Odds and Key Matchup Analysis

The Hurricanes are listed as -140 moneyline favorites. That’s pretty easy to see why given they’re 2-0 against the Rangers so far this season. While the Rangers are underdogs at +120, we’re not going to rule them out just yet as we want to get a better look at their current form and how they’re looking coming into tonight.

With the total set at 5.5 goals and the underpriced at -125, the bookmakers are thinking this will be a fairly lower-scoring contest.

Carolina sitting at 30-16-4 has been a force in division play with a 13-4-3 record and sits just 2nd in the Metropolitan Division standings, though, for them to catch up to Washington is going to be a tall order as 7 points separates them.

They’ve been in strong form as of late, going 6-2-2 in their last 10 games despite a frustrating 3-2 overtime loss against the dismal New York Islanders a few nights ago. Carolina’s balance on both ends of the ice is one of the biggest reasons for their success, as they boast a 3.4 GF/G while giving up just 2.78 GA/G.

Martin Necas, with his 55 points on the year, continues to lead the charge offensively. Just behind him, Seth Jarvis, is also doing his part as he has added 7 goals in his last 10 games with 2 assists on top of that.

The Rangers and their 24-21-4 record sit 5th in the division but remain in the thick of the wild-card race. New York isn’t doing all that bad either as they have a 6-1-3 record in their last 10 games, averaging 3.5 goals per game during that stretch. Of course, they’re coming off of a tough 5-4 loss against a surging Colorado Avalanche, but they’ve got their eyes set on a rebound win.

Artemi Panarin has been their offensive spark plug as he’s notched 52 points on the season, including 5 goals and 7 assists in his last 10 outings.

However, injuries have plagued the team. With Igor Shesterkin, Chris Kreider, and K’Andre Miller all sidelined, the depth of the Rangers is really being challenged. Backup goaltender Jonathan Quick is expected to start, but he’s bringing a less-than-stellar .897 save percentage to the crease.

Prediction and Best Bet

The Hurricanes’ edge in this game starts with their superior goaltending and depth.

Pyotr Kochetkov has been fairly reliable in the net, with an 18-9-3 record and a 2.48 GAA. Facing a depleted Rangers lineup and Quick’s shaky recent form, Carolina’s offense should have no problem finding opportunities to capitalize on. The Hurricanes have also dominated the season series, winning 4-3 and 3-1 in the first 2 matchups and they look a lot better this time around as well.

New York’s injuries and defensive struggles against solid teams make them a risky bet here. Without Shesterkin to anchor the net and Kreider’s physical presence on the ice, it’s hard to see the Rangers keeping up with the Hurricanes for a full 60 minutes.

• HelloRookie’s Prediction: Hurricanes 3, Rangers 1
• Best Bet: Hurricanes moneyline (-140)

Carolina’s ability to control puck possession, create high-danger scoring chances, and maintain a defensive structure makes them the more complete team coming into tonight’s game.

If you’re looking for a secondary play, we think that the under 5.5 goals (-125) is looking pretty good. Of course, it’s a pretty low bar, but both teams have strong defensive tendencies. With Carolina’s ability to shut down opposing offenses, combined with New York’s limited depth due to injuries, this game feels like it’ll be played in the trenches. 

Carolina’s looking great this year and their overall health gives them a clear advantage in this matchup. We expect them to continue their strong division play and secure a 3rd straight win over the Rangers this season.