The New York Rangers (10-9-3) will pay a visit to the Pittsburgh Penguins (13-9-1) Sunday at PPG Paints Arena for a 7:30 p.m. ET puck drop. Below, we analyze the Rangers-Penguins odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
The Penguins and Rangers are fifth and sixth, respectively, in the East Division. Pittsburgh is 3-1-0 against New York this season, but two of those victories went beyond 60 minutes.
The Penguins topped the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on home ice Saturday. The Rangers doubled up the New Jersey Devils in a 6-3 road win. New York enters on a three-game winning streak.
Rangers at Penguins: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 12:27 p.m. ET.
- Money line: Rangers +125 (bet $100 to win $125) | Penguins -150 (bet $150 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Rangers +1.5 (-190) | Penguins -1.5 (+155)
- Over/Under: 6 (O: -115 | U: -105)
Rangers at Penguins: Projected starting goalies
Alexandar Georgiev (4-2-2, .906 SV%, 2.79 GAA) vs. Casey DeSmith (4-2-0, .893 SV%, 2.73 GAA)
Igor Shesterkin (groin) remains sidelined by injury so Georgiev will need to start for the second straight day on the road. He stopped 24 of 27 shots on goal in Saturday’s win for his third victory in his last four starts. The Bulgarian allowed 5 goals on 38 shots in an overtime loss to the Penguins Jan. 30.
DeSmith has stepped back into the clear No. 2 role with starter Tristan Jarry rounding into form. He stopped 28 of 30 shots but took the loss against the New York Islanders last Sunday.
Special NHL Betting Promotion! Bet $1 on either team’s money line, WIN $100 (in free bets) if either team scores a goal in the game. Betting offer available in CO, IA, IN, MI, NJ, PA, TN, VA and WV. Place your legal, online bets at BetMGM. New customer offer, terms and conditions apply. Bet now!
Rangers at Penguins: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Penguins 5, Rangers 2
Money line (ML)
Both teams being on a back-to-back favors the deeper and more talented PENGUINS (-150), who should be backed for the outright win.
The Rangers remain without LW Artemi Panarin (personal) and D Jacob Trouba, and will have the tired goaltender with Georgiev making rare back-to-back starts.
Play our new free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Against the spread (ATS)
Bet PENGUINS -1.5 (+155) on the puck line for a much better profit if Pittsburgh wins by 2 or more goals. The Pens hold the lead in the season series, and while all three of their victories were decided by single-goal margins, they’re in a more favorable situation Sunday.
The Rangers are also second-last in the NHL with a 5-on-5 Corsi For percentage of just 46.63%. The Penguins are ninth at 50.67% of the total shot attempts at full strength.
Over/Under (O/U)
Bet against both starting goaltenders and back the OVER 6 (-115). Defensive play slips first on tired legs.
The season series is 2-2 against the O/U with combined goal totals of 7, 5, 9 and 4.
Want some action on this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting picks and tips, visit SportsbookWire.com. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Esten McLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage. This information is for entertainment purposes only. We make no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any content.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1369]