Hurricanes-Rangers Betting Preview: Carolina Surges into Madison Square Garden

Betting odds: Carolina Hurricanes at New York Rangers

• Hurricanes moneyline: -123
• Rangers moneyline: +103
• Over/Under: 6
• Rest notes: Carolina back-to-back
• Puck drop: 8 p.m. ET

Season record: 35-38, +10.72 units

After a 14-game sweat-fest on Thursday, there is just one NHL contest on Friday night's board as the New York Rangers host the Carolina Hurricanes at Madison Square Garden.

It should be a nice atmosphere at the Garden as they are honoring the 1994 Stanley Cup team. The hockey should be pretty good, too, as the Hurricanes and Rangers come into Friday on parallel 6-3-1 stretches.

The Hurricanes have really found their groove since the turn of the new year and the acquisition of Nino Niederreiter has paid huge dividends. In eight games with the Swiss forward in the lineup Carolina is 5-2-1, with a 59% Corsi Rating and averaging 3.72 Goals Per 60 at 5v5.

This recent surge from Carolina was a long time coming as the Canes boast one of the league's most impressive portfolios in terms of underlying statistics.

The Hurricanes lead the NHL with 3.2 expected goals for per 60 (xGF/60) and they average 13.53 more shot attempts per 60 minutes (5v5) than their opponents, also first in the NHL.

The Rangers will also fancy themselves in the mix for a playoff berth, although it is highly unlikely they will be able to make up seven points between now and season's end.

In terms of tangible results, the Rangers haven't been as bad as people thought but under the hood things aren't very encouraging and on paper, this game looks like a mismatch.

The Rangers allow 2.59 expected goals against and 11.41 high-danger chances per 60 minutes. That is not a recipe for success, especially against a high-flying offense like the one they will see on Friday night.

Even though this a "schedule loss" for Carolina since it is playing on a back-to-back while the Rangers are home and on regular ice, I still think there is some value on the Canes and would play them up to -125.

The Bet: Hurricanes -123