Panthers vs Rangers Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Can New York's Offense Come Alive?

The New York Rangers have had a few nice days off after losing at home to the Boston Bruins on January 19. However, that means they'll have zero excuses if they don't come out fresh tonight and the Florida Panthers are no team to overlook.

The Panthers have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and are knocking on the door of being in a playoff spot, sitting just three points back of the second Wild Card spot.

Florida, however, hasn’t been very successful in recent history when playing at Madison Square Garden, going 1-4 in its last five trips. 

I break down the matchup and more in my free NHL betting picks for Rangers vs. Panthers below.

Panthers vs Rangers best odds

Panthers vs Rangers picks and predictions

The Florida Panthers appear to have found their offensive game lately, scoring at least four goals in five straight games and combining for 23 goals total in that span.

The New York Rangers have been quite the opposite, as they have only scored just 11 goals in their previous five games. That being said, the Rangers are currently skating to a 3.23 xGF/60 and with some new line combinations, are hoping to click a little bit more offensively. 

These two teams met on New Year's Day down in Florida when the Rangers were able to grind out a 5-3 win thanks to great performances from Mika Zibanejad (two goals), Adam Fox (two assists), with Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Vincent Trocheck each adding a goal and an assist. This is about as good of a showing as you can ask for if these five guys are on the score sheet.

The Rangers might not be scoring a whole lot lately, but they certainly have been defending very well, allowing just 10 goals in their last five. New York hasn’t announced a starting goaltender yet, but it has been confirmed that Alex Lyon will get the nod for Florida. 

Lyon has only appeared in 26 NHL games in what is now his sixth season in the league. Over his career, he has a 3.12 GAA and a .896 SV%, so it's clear the Rangers have the goaltending edge in this battle. The Cats aren’t that strong defensively as is, allowing 3.38 goals against per game, while the Rangers are the fifth-best defensive team 

The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings between these two teams and I’m riding with the home team once again.

My best bet: Rangers moneyline (-135 at BetMGM)

Panthers vs Rangers moneyline analysis

The Panthers' roster isn’t looking very healthy right now. They'll definitely be without Anthony Duclair, Patric Hornqvist and Eric Staal, but Aaron Ekblad and Sam Bennett are also questionable. The Rangers happens to be close to fully healthy, only adding to the three days of rest. 

New York will certainly get its fair share of opportunities tonight as it enters this game with the second-most scoring chances per game (13.04). Creating chances isn’t a problem for the Rangers, but they need to do a better job at finishing those opportunities. 

Whether Igor Shesterkin or Jaroslav Halak starts for the Rangers, both goalies have been playing well and have more experience than Alex Lyon. 

Most of the Panthers' goals in their last three games have come on the man advantage, converting on six of their last 13 attempts, but the Rangers have one of the better penalty-killing units in the league, so as long as they stay disciplined, there shouldn’t be too much of a concern. 

At the end of the day, I am taking the Rangers' defense and goaltending over an unhealthy Panther roster with an inexperienced goalie between the pipes. 

Panthers vs Rangers Over/Under analysis

It’s pretty challenging to read the Over/Under on this game because both teams have had very opposite trends as of late. The Panthers' offense is soaring, while the Rangers are struggling to finish, but on that same note, New York can certainly turn things around tonight with fresh legs and new line combos. 

I'm very excited to watch Artemi Panarin skate on a line with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider along with “The Kid Line” being reunited as well. 

For the Panthers, Matthew Tkachuk has been an absolute killer with points in nine of his last 10 games. He's tallied seven goals and nine assists over that span, completely carrying this team offensively. 

I am definitely leaning towards the Over since both teams average more than three goals per game and neither team necessarily plays a defensive style of hockey, but the Rangers need to find ways to finish. 

Panthers vs Rangers betting trend to know

The home team is 4-1 in the last five meetings. Find more NHL betting trends for Panthers vs Rangers.

Panthers vs Rangers game info

Panthers vs Rangers key injuries

Pages related to this topic