Tuesday NHL Betting Odds & Picks: Rangers vs. Hurricanes Game 3 Preview (August 4)
Chase Agnello-Dean/NHLI via Getty Images. Pictured: Henrik Lundqvist
- The Hurricanes are favored over the Rangers in Game 3 of their qualifying round series, and can advance to the postseason with a win.
- New York is turning to rookie goaltender Igor Shesterkin to save their season after he was deemed "unfit to play" in the first two games.
- Get Michael Leboff's full breakdown for Canes vs. Rangers below.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Odds: Game 3
| Rangers Odds | +125 [BET NOW] |
| Hurricanes Odds | -148[BET NOW] |
| Over/Under | 5.5 (-103/-120) [BET NOW] |
| Time | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | NBCSN |
Odds as of Monday at 11:30 p.m. ET and via DraftKings. Get up to a $1,000 sign-up bonus at DraftKings today or see more offers and reviews for the best online sportsbooks.
These NHL Playoffs are a bit like a reality show and the New York Rangers are in danger of being the first contestants sent home.
The Blueshirts caught some buzz as a potential sleeper team before the tournament thanks to their pre-pandemic form but wouldn't you know, the way a team was playing four months and a global crisis ago has very little bearing on how they're playing now.
Plain and simple, New York has been terrible through the first two games:
| New York Rangers | Carolina Hurricanes | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-on-5 Goals For | 1 | 5 |
| 5-on-5 Expected Goals For | 2.21 | 3.36 |
| 5-on-5 Shot Attempts | 68 | 86 |
| 5-on-5 High-Danger Scoring Chances | 9 | 18 |
Expected goals (also known as xG) is a predictive statistic that gives an indication of whether results are based on sustainable factors like a steady creation of scoring chances, or whether it is down to aspects such as shooting luck or outstanding goaltending.
Simply put, an expected goals rate (xGF%) above 50% is considered good because it means a team is creating the majority of the scoring chances. Anything below 50% is usually a sign that a team is struggling to control play.
Stats cited from Natural Stat Trick.
When the Hurricanes are in form they are a terrific forechecking team that pressures defenses into mistakes. Carolina's relentless pressure has consistently forced the Rangers' rearguards into mistake after mistake and that has had New York on its heels since puck drop in Game 1.
The Rangers thrive on a transition game and creating chances off the rush, but their defense has been pinned deep so often that the opportunities for an odd-man rush going the other way have been few and far between. The Rangers win games by getting the puck to Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad or Chris Kreider. Right now they aren't getting the puck, period.
If you've watched the first two games of this series betting on the Rangers is probably the last thing you want to do, but the tough reality of betting is that you're going to be betting on bad or out-of-form teams quite a bit. Get used to it.
As you'd expect, the price on the Rangers has ticked up with each game. I wouldn't be surprised if it continues to soar as I don't imagine many bettors will be rushing to the window to bet a team in disarray.
| New York Rangers | Carolina Hurricanes | |
|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | +120 | -139 |
| Game 2 | +123 | -141 |
| Game 3 | +125 | -148 |
It's certainly not a fun bet to make, but the Rangers look like they'll be a good value in this game. I thought there was value on the Rangers at +125 on Monday, so there's no reason not to go back to the well on Tuesday.
I wouldn't blame anybody for walking away from this bet because there's certainly a chance that the Rangers come out flat and wave the white flag, but I think the price is good enough to take that risk.
I'd advise being patient and waiting to see if this price goes up. Like I said, I don't see the Rangers attracting much betting support on Tuesday, so there's a chance we could see a +130 pop on the Blueshirts.
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