The New York Rangers (1-0-0) and Minnesota Wild (0-0-0) meet Thursday at Xcel Energy Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze Tipico Sportsbook’s lines around the Rangers vs. Wild odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Rangers opened with a 3-1 win at Madison Square Garden Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. G Igor Shesterkin turned aside 25 of the 26 shots he faced, while C Mika Zibanejad scored 2 of the team’s 3 goals.
The Wild will provide a stern test for the Blueshirts, as Minnesota has won 52 of its last 70 home games. The Wild have also won 20 of their last 27 games against Eastern Conference opponents.
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Rangers at Wild odds
Provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:23 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Rangers +115 (bet $100 to win $115) | Wild -140 (bet $140 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rangers +1.5 (-220) | Wild -1.5 (+165)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: +110 | U: -135)
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Rangers at Wild projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (1-0-0, 1.01 GAA, .962 SV%) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (28-23-5, 2.90 GAA, .908 SV%, 4 SO in 2021-22 w/Chicago and Minnesota)
Shesterkin allowed just a power-play goal to Lightning C Steve Stamkos in the opener. He heads into this season as one of the favorites to win the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the NHL.
Fleury begins his first full season with the Wild, electing to stay with the organization this past offseason. He was roughed up for 5 goals on 29 shots against the Rangers at United Center as a member of the Chicago Blackhawks last season.
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Rangers at Wild picks and predictions
Prediction
Rangers 4, Wild 1
Moneyline
The RANGERS (+115) are a strong play as short road ‘dogs. New York used timely scoring, solid defense and tremendous goaltending to pick up the win over Tampa Bay in the opener. It was the same recipe it used to produce more than 100 regular-season points before going on a deep postseason run last season. Look for more of the same here.
Puck line/Against the spread
Rangers +1.5 (-220) are too expensive on the puck line, costing more than 2 times your potential return. If you like New York, just play it straight up as a much better value.
AVOID.
Over/Under
The UNDER 6.5 (-135) is worth playing lightly. Shesterkin is a brick wall, and the Minnesota offense will have trouble solving him. Fleury is also good enough to keep the New York offense down. The Rangers hit the Under in their win Tuesday, and it will have a similar performance in this one.
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