Meaningful hockey is finally back on our screens, and my Rangers vs. Bruins prediction backs New York as a slight 51% favorite in this Original Six tilt at TD Garden.
My NHL picks also deliver a combo and player props for Sept. 29, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
RAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!
Rangers vs Bruins prediction: Rangers moneyline
I will not back the New York Rangers often this season, but a suspension to Charlie McAvoy and his 24:23 of ice time will hamper the Boston Bruins in more ways than one, giving the edge to N.Y. — who I would trade up to 55%.
The Rangers filled out their top six nicely with the additions of sharpshooter Pavel Dorofeyev and Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Doro will boost a power-play unit that finished in the Top 5 last season.
I expect that power play to get home against a Bruins' penalty kill that finished 24th (77%) in 2025-26. That is unlikely to improve tonight without McAvoy — who averaged 2:48 of shorthanded ice time per game.
It's also worth noting the Bruins — who finished 14th in goals against last year — also finished 30th in expected GA/60. Boston was already vulnerable to defensive regression, and losing McAvoy only increases that risk.
Meanwhile, New York's defense, which allowed 3.04 goals per game, also got help, with the front office adding Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi in the offseason. That pairing, along with the arrival of Alberts Smits, will give Igor Shesterkin much-needed help up front.
Advantage in special teams and in net push the Rangers above Boston tonight.
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Rangers vs Bruins combo
Pretty straightforward thinking here. What is going to be bad? Boston's penalty kill. Who plays on New York's PP1? Mika Zibanejad and Dorofeyev.
Who scored 20 PP goals last year? Dorofeyev. Who had the seventh-most PP points in the NHL last season with 35? Zibanejad. Whether it be on the man advantage together or with their respective lines, both skaters can get the job done. A 5.95x payout for such a correlated combo has Papa smiling real big.
Rangers vs Bruins combo
- Rangers moneyline
- Pavel Dorofeyev anytime goal scorer
- Mika Zibanejad Over 0.5 assists
TOP PICK
Rangers vs Bruins player prop: Pavel Dorofeyev
The level of glazing going on right now probably needs to be studied... whateva. Dorofeyev was brought to New York to score, and to do that you have to shoot.
The winger just registered back-to-back 200+ shot seasons with Vegas, and he'll have the green light on the top power-play unit. Boston is also down its Top 2 shot blockers from last season, with Andrew Peeke gone and McAvoy suspended.
To quote Sia, "Fire awayyy, fire awayyy,".
COVERS INTEL: The Bruins gave up 4.48 shots per game on the penalty kill last season, third-most in the league.- Top picks: 0-0
- Combos: 0-0
Rangers vs Bruins odds
For help understanding probabilities, see our odds calculator.
- Moneyline: Rangers 51% | Bruins 49%
- Over/Under: Over 5.5 (55%) | Under 5.5 (45%)
- Spread: Rangers +1.5 (72%) | Bruins -1.5 (29%)
For the full slate of NHL matchups, check out our NHL odds board!
Rangers vs Bruins trend
The Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings in Boston. Find more NHL betting trends.
How to watch Rangers vs Bruins
| Location | TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Date | Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2026 |
| Tip-off | 8 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN |
Rangers vs Bruins latest injuries
Check out our NHL injuries page for updates on every team.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
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