The Pittsburgh Penguins (4-3-1) travel to meet the New York Rangers (2-4-1) at Madison Square Garden Saturday for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. Below, we analyze the Penguins-Rangers NHL odds and lines, with picks and predictions.
Penguins at Rangers: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:32 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Penguins -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Rangers -110 (bet $110 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Penguins +1.5 (-275) | Rangers -1.5 (+230)
- Over/Under: 6 (O: -110 | U: -110)
Penguins at Rangers: Projected starting goalies
Tristan Jarry (2-3-1, 3.92 GAA, .859 SV%) at Igor Shesterkin (1-2-1, 2.73 GAA, .894 SV%)
Jarry is once again projected as the starter, and probably for good reason. Both of his wins this season came against the Blueshirts. He is 2-0-0 with a 2.40 GAA and .917 SV% against the Rangers, and he is 0-3-1 with a 4.89 GAA and .816 SV% in his four games against everyone else. G Casey DeSmith is 2-0-0 with a 2.76 GAA and .871 SV% in two starts and three games overall, yet head coach Mike Sullivan continues to ride and die with Jarry.
Shesterkin is projected to face the Pens. While he is 0-1-1 in his two starts against Pittsburgh, he has a 2.91 GAA and .872 SV% against them with both games decided by one goal. That includes a 4-3 shootout loss Jan. 22 in the Steel City.
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Penguins at Rangers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Penguins 4, Rangers 3
Money line (ML)
The PENGUINS (-105) are slight underdogs, but they’re the better play. They already have two wins under their belt against the Rangers, and they have dominated this series in recent years. Pittsburgh has won five of the past seven overall, and nine of their past 12 trips to MSG.
Against the spread (ATS)
The Penguins +1.5 (-275) are just way too expensive if you’re looking for a little insurance. Risking nearly three times your potential return is just not a good long-term strategy. AVOID and roll with the Pens on the ML instead.
Over/Under (O/U)
Play the OVER 6 (-110) with a small-unit bet. The series trends say Over all the time. The Over is 17-6-3 in the previous 26 meetings, including 4-1 in the past five in Manhattan. However, the Rangers have hit the Under in six in a row against winning teams, five straight on one day of rest and three straight heading in. The Over/Under split 1-1 in the first two meetings in Pittsburgh this season.
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