The New York Rangers (34-24-4) visit the Montreal Canadiens (29-27-9) Thursday at Bell Centre for a 7 p.m. ET puck drop. Both teams remain well outside the playoff picture, but the Rangers have won four straight games. We analyze the Rangers-Canadiens sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Rangers at Canadiens: Projected starting goalies
Alexandar Georgiev vs. Carey Price
Georgiev is 3-2-0 over his last five outings and is coming off a win over the rival New York Islanders Tuesday in which he stopped 42 of 45 shots. He is 15-12-1 on the season with a .913 save percentage and 2.98 goals against average.
Price is nearing the end of a season that will stand out as an anomaly in his likely Hall of Fame career. He has gone 2-1-2 over his last five games with one shutout but a total of 15 goals allowed. He is 26-22-6 on the season with a .911 SV% and 2.74 GAA while facing a league-high 1,640 shots on goal through 54 games played.
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Rangers at Canadiens: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 8:45 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Rangers 3, Canadiens 2
Moneyline (ML)
The RANGERS (+115) are a strong value play at plus-money against the struggling Price. Montreal (-139) is just 4-4-2 across its last 10 games and coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday. Home ice advantage, you say? The Habs are just 13-15-6 at Bell Centre for the season while the Rangers are 17-11-2 on the road.
New York is 8-2 across its last 10 games and is riding the aforementioned winning streak. The Blue Shirts are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Isles Tuesday. The season series is tied at a game apiece with each team having won on the road.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Rangers to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $11.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
I prefer the more profitable moneyline play for the Rangers, but NEW YORK (+1.5, -222) should also be taken with 1 goal of insurance in the event of a loss. The Rangers are 21-9 ATS on the road, while the Habs are just 12-22 ATS at home. Both of the first two meetings of the year were played within a single goal.
Over/Under (O/U)
Make the contrarian play and take the OVER 5.5 (+125). The last meeting played to a total of just 3 goals in a 2-1 win for Montreal. Both teams are 4-6 against the Over/Under across their last 10 games.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 253-241
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