It’s a busy NHL betting night on Tuesday with nine games scheduled, including a tilt between the Pittsburgh Penguins and visiting New York Rangers.
The two teams met Sunday night and the Penguins dismantled New York, winning 5-1 for their third victory in four games as they attempt to climb the bunched-up East Division standings.
Can a New York team that had won three straight and four of five before the blowout loss get back on track? Find out with our best free picks and predictions for Rangers vs. Penguins at 6:00 p.m. ET at PPG Paints Arena.
New York Rangers at Pittsburgh Penguins betting preview
Injuries
Rangers: Igor Shesterkin G (Questionable), Artemi Panarin LW (Out).
Penguins: Mark Friedman D (Out), Jared McCann LW (Questionable), Colton Sceviour C (Out), Jason Zucker LW (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Over is 10-1-2 in the last 13 head-to-head meetings in Pittsburgh. Find more NHL betting trends for Rangers vs. Penguins.
NHL sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonPittsburgh hit the TwinSpires odds board at -155 this morning and quickly moved to -167 on its way to -175, where the moneyline sits at 3:30 p.m. ET. The Penguins are taking 77 percent of bets and 79 percent of cash. The total opened at 6 flat (-110 on O/U), the price adjusted to Under -118, but it's now back to -110, with 57 percent of bets/67 percent of money on the Over. TwinSpires also noted that there's significant parlay liability to the Penguins.
Check out the full line movement for this gameMoneyline pick
The Penguins are 7-3 over their last 10 contests and are within striking distance of first place in a crowded division that has seen the surging New York Islanders reach the top spot following a five-game winning streak. Pittsburgh has beaten those same Islanders three of four times during that 10-game span while splitting a two-game set with the Washington Capitals and taking two of three from the Philadelphia Flyers.
They’ve benefitted from a better offense, led by Sidney Crosby’s team-high 22 points, and solid goaltending, but continue to get burned on the man advantage as one of the weaker penalty-killing teams in the NHL. That weak PK is especially troubling for a club that scuffles limiting high-danger scoring chances, as the powerplay is a prime situation for opposing teams to get off better looks on net.
The Rangers, meanwhile, have stepped up after a brutal start to the season and have won six of nine following their second four-game losing skid of the year. Pittsburgh has actually been one of the driving forces behind New York’s shoddy play, as the Blueshirts have lost four of five to the Penguins but the last contest was the only game that wasn’t competitive. The other three losses were all one-goal defeats, with two of them needing extra time to be decided.
Pittsburgh is certainly the better team – it doesn’t help that the Rangers are without star forward Artemi Panarin and are getting nothing from Mika Zibanejad, a 40-goal scorer last season – but New York is playing better hockey and refused to let its season crater after a shaky start. Getting the Pens on the moneyline at -150 odds isn’t appealing, and the Rangers’ improved play, coupled with what should be a desire to enact revenge for Sunday’s stinker, have us tilting toward the underdog.
PREDICTION: Rangers (+130)
Over/Under pick
Neither team is among the leaders when it comes to goal scoring (Pittsburgh ranks 15th, New York 20th), but the second halves of their seasons so far paint a different picture.
Pittsburgh ranks sixth in goals per game throughout the 7-3 stretch over their last 10, averaging 3.30 tallies per contest. The Rangers are even better during that time (since February 17), scoring 3.56 goals per game – good for second in the NHL – while going 6-3.
Since then, both teams have been fairly even in suppressing goals, both performing better than league average, which the Rangers have done all season. New York ranks ninth in the NHL in goals allowed per game at 2.70 but is currently without No. 1 netminder Igor Shesterkin, who has missed a couple of contests with a lower-body injury. A big reason the Rangers have held a lot of teams in check is that they’ve been the No. 2 penalty-killing unit in the NHL over the last three weeks.
The Rangers and Penguins have gone 2-2-1 O/U in their five meetings and for the season New York is 8-14, while the Pens are 14-9. NHL totals are tough and this matchup, with the Over/Under set at six goals, is no different. The improved offenses of both clubs, however, leads us to the Over.
PREDICTION: Over 6 (-105)
Rangers vs Penguins betting card
- Rangers (+130)
- Over 6 (-105)
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