The New York Rangers (11-11-2) and Carolina Hurricanes (14-6-2) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Hurricanes are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-135o / +114u). The Hurricanes are a -182 favorite to win outright, while the Rangers are +150 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Rangers vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Odds, Pick
| Rangers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -162 | 5.5 -135o / +114u | +150 |
| Hurricanes Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +136 | 5.5 -135o / +114u | -182 |
- Rangers vs. Hurricanes Spread: Hurricanes -1.5 (+136 ), Rangers +1.5 (-162)
- Rangers vs. Hurricanes Over/Under: 5.5 (-135o / +114u)
- Rangers vs. Hurricanes Moneyline: Rangers +150, Hurricanes -182
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Preview
New York Rangers
The Rangers ended their four-game losing streak with a 3-2 win against the lowly Blues, but luckily, they head back on the road, where it seems to be the only way they can win games.
New York boasts a 9-4 record when away from Madison Square Garden, but it doesn’t really matter.
Recently, the Rangers’ 5-on-5 game has been abysmal, with their offensive output ranking sixth-worst at 44.16 xGF% and a defensive xGA/60 of 2.58.
Defense is probably the least of their problems, given the pairings of Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov, as well as Will Borgen and Matthew Robertson, which are among the better pairings in the league (minimum 100 minutes played).
The difference is, Borgen is still listed as day-to-day and skated with a non-contact jersey, so expect Urho Vaakanainen to take his place.
New York’s special teams have been really hot, though, especially on the power play, scoring at a 50% clip in their past eight games. Though I anticipate that it to come back down to Earth soon.
The Rangers also suffered a brutal blow to their net, with backup Jonathan Quick getting sent to the IR, leaving Dylan Garand as the current backup. But expect Igor Shesterkin to get the bulk of the starts, with his quality .909 SV% and 9.7 GSAx.
Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina is in a much different position than its counterparts as the Hurricanes currently hold the best record in the Eastern Conference.
But this’ll be their first game back home after a four-game road trip where they went 2-1-1, including a most recent 4-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres.
Their top-four players in Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers have been major driving forces in Carolina’s success, helping it reach a fourth-best 58.06 xGF% since November 11.
But it’s not just on the offensive end; this has been as stifling a defense as you’ll find, with a 2.23 xGA/60.
The problem is, what’s given the Canes troubles is their inability to perform on special teams, and goaltending – the latter not being a new trouble for this franchise.
Carolina scores on the power play at a lowly 14.8% and succeeds on the penalty kill 78% of the time. In net, though, the work of Freddie Andersen and Brandon Bussi has been less-than-stellar, which should tell you a whole lot about the team in front of them.
Both Andersen and Bussi have played to sub-.900 SV% and Andersen posting a 0.0 GSAx and Bussi a 2.2 GSAx.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Prediction
To me, this is a pick ‘em. I think this game can go either way on the total. With the total being at 5.5, there’s not a whole lot of room for error here.
The last time these two squads faced off, the Hurricanes came away with a 3-0 win, and both teams have proven that they can grind it out in games.
Out of the 12 games played in November, the Rangers have been involved in nine games below five goals and for the Canes, it’s been five games.
So while Carolina has spotty goaltending and explosive talent up front, the Rangers have a solid D-corps who can excel with one of the game's best netminders in Shesterkin.
There’s cause for both the over and under, but I’m sticking with the under here.
Pick: Under 5.5 (+114)
