The Detroit Red Wings (12-35-4) visit the New York Rangers (23-21-4) Friday at Madison Square Garden for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Red Wings-Rangers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Red Wings at Rangers: Projected starting goalies
Jimmy Howard vs. Igor Shesterkin
Howard remains in search of his first win since Oct. 29. He has gone 0-14-2 in that time and is now 2-19-2 on the season with a .883 save percentage and 4.12 goals against average.
Shesterkin, 24, will make his fourth NHL start. He is 2-1-0 on the season with eight goals allowed through three games. He has stopped 104 of 112 shots faced.
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Red Wings at Rangers: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Rangers 5, Red Wings 2
Moneyline (ML)
The RANGERS (-222) are heavy home favorites but remain the play, as are most teams when going up against the Red Wings (+180). Detroit is mired in another six-game losing streak and it has gone 2-7-1 over its last 10 games. The Wings are just 4-19-2 on the road for the season and buried firmly in last place with a minus-90 goal differential.
New York is well worth swallowing the chalk in what has become nearly an automatic win for most teams in the NHL this season. It is 4-6-0 over its last 10 games but 13-10-2 at home. The Rangers beat the Wings 5-1 in the season’s first head-to-head meeting Nov. 6.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
Even the unproven Shesterkin has a significant edge in the goaltending battle when facing Howard. Back the RANGERS (-1.5, +125) to win by at least 2 goals at a much more profitable number. The Rangers are 31-17 against the spread overall and 16-9 at home. The Red Wings are 20-31 ATS overall and 10-15 on the road.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the OVER 6.5 (+125) on a small wager. New York is 6-3-1 against the Over/Under across its last 10 games, while Detroit is 4-5-1 over the same sample size. Expect the Rangers to handle the bulk of the scoring while handing Howard his usual 4-plus goals allowed.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 189-178
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