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The New York Rangers (34-31-6) begin a 3-game California road trip Tuesday against the LA Kings (39-21-9) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Puck drop is scheduled for 10:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Rangers vs. Kings odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: Kings lead 1-0
The Kings belted the Rangers 5-1 at Madison Square Garden in New York on Dec. 14 in the first meeting at even-money (+100) as the Over (5.5) cashed. LA chased G Igor Shesterkin, as he allowed 5 even-strength goals on just 21 shots in 25:04 of ice time.
The Rangers are fighting to get back into the playoff picture, but it’s a logjam just outside of the Wild Card positions. A 5-3 win last time out against the Vancouver Canucks helped, but the Rangers are still just 3-5-2 in the previous 10 outings.
The Kings spanked the visiting Boston Bruins 7-2 last time out on Sunday, which was the same score LA dispatched the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. Oddly enough, in both games, Los Angeles had 7 different goal scorers.
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Rangers at Kings odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:08 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Rangers +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Kings -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rangers +1.5 (-185) | Kings -1.5 (+150)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +105 | U: -125)
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Rangers at Kings projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (24-25-4, 2.81 GAA, .907 SV%, 5 SO) vs. Darcy Kuemper (24-9-7, 2.13 GAA, .918 SV%, 4 SO)
Shesterkin is hoping to get revenge against the Kings after getting chased early in the loss at MSG back in mid-December. Shesty has been uneven for most of the season, but he has gotten back to form a little in March. He is 4-4-2 with a 2.31 GAA and .918 SV% with 2 SO in 10 starts, his second-best month in terms of GAA and SV% this season. He had a 2.07 GAA and .921 SV% in 9 January outings.
Kuemper has been playing great in March, going 6-2-1 with a sparkling 1.44 GAA and .934 SV% with 2 SO in 9 starts this month. He has allowed 2 or fewer goals in each of the past 8 assignments, too. Kuemper was the beneficiary of 5 goals of support in the win at MSG Dec. 14, and he stopped 31 of the 32 shots he faced.
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Rangers at Kings picks and predictions
Prediction
Kings 4, Rangers 2
Moneyline
The KINGS (-165) aren’t a bad play as moderate favorites. The Rangers just can’t be trusted lately, and LA has been especially potent on home ice. Again, it has back-to-back 7-2 victories at Crypto.com Arena against Eastern Conference teams, and the Kings are 11-0-3 in the past 14 games at home since a regulation loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 20.
Puck line/Against the spread
The KINGS -1.5 (+150) are a very tempting play on the puck line, and it is my preferred play over the moneyline.
LA has back-to-back wins by 5 goals, as the offense has been humming. The Kings are 11-0-3 in the past 14 at home with a plus-24 goal differential in the span.
On the flip side, the Rangers are 7-1 in the past 8 games on the puck line as an underdog, including 3 outright wins, so tread lightly.
Over/Under
OVER 5.5 (+105) is the lean, but only roll with a half-unit play at best.
The Over has hit in the past 2 games for the Rangers, but the Under is 5-2 in the past 7 games, and 9-4 in the previous 13 outings.
And, while LA has scored 7 goals in each of the past 2 outings for a pair of Over results, the Under is still 5-2 in the past 7 games, and 7-3 across the past 10 outings.
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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