The Columbus Blue Jackets (25-16-8) meet up with the New York Rangers (23-19-4) Sunday at Madison Square Garden for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. We analyze the Blue Jackets-Rangers sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Blue Jackets at Rangers: Projected starting goalies
Elvis Merzlikins vs. Igor Shesterkin
Merzlikins enters Sunday’s game with a rare advantage in NHL experience. The 25-year-old rookie is on a personal four-game winning streak and is now 8-6-4 on the season with a .928 save percentage and 2.36 goals against average through 20 games (18 starts).
Shesterkin, 24, is making his third NHL start after winning each of his first two. He has stopped 75 of 81 shots faced.
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Blue Jackets at Rangers: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Blue Jackets 3, Rangers 2
Moneyline (ML)
Back the visiting BLUE JACKETS (+105) at plus-money as road underdogs. Shesterkin has been solid in the early going of his NHL career, but he gave up three goals in each outing and the Rangers (-129) shouldn’t be moderate favorites with him between the pipes at this point. The Jackets lead the Rangers by 8 points in the Metropolitan Division.
Columbus is on a four-game winning streak, including a 5-0 rout of the New Jersey Devils Saturday. They are 8-2-0 across their last 10 games and 10-7-6 on the road for the season. New York is 6-4-0 across its last 10 games and 13-8-2 at home for the campaign. NY has won two straight games, sweeping a home-and-home set against the rival New York Islanders Monday (6-2) and Thursday (3-2).
Take the value on the superior Blue Jackets.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
AVOID the puck line. The Blue Jackets are unlikely to win by multiple goals in the second half of their back-to-back, but there’s no value in their line of +1.5 (-250). There’s even less value in backing the Rangers (+1.5, -357) on the alternate line to lose by just one.
Both teams are strong against the spread. The Jackets are 28-21 ATS overall and 17-6 on the road. The Rangers are 31-15 ATS overall and 16-7 at home.
Over/Under (O/U)
Take the UNDER 5.5 (+110) as the more profitable side of the projected goal total. Merzlikins, even on the second half of a back-to-back, has been very strong of late. The Rangers enter well-rested and Shesterkin has looked the part of an NHL goaltender. We’re unlikely to see more than five total goals scored at MSG Sunday.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 176-164
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