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The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals meet in Game 4 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference 1st-round series Sunday. Puck drop from Capital One Arena is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (TBS). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Rangers vs. Capitals odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Playoff series: Rangers lead 3-0
The Rangers posted a 4-1 win in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden April 21, and then scored a 4-3 victory in Game 2 on Tuesday for the only Over (5.5) result of the series. In Game 3, the Capitals were unable to protect home ice, falling 3-1 as the Rangers pushed them to the brink of elimination.
The Blueshirts have picked up 5 consecutive wins, while going 8-2-0 in the past 10 games since April 3, rolling right along. The Under is on a 5-1 run for the Rangers as goaltender Igor Shesterkin has snapped into championship form just in the nick of time.
The Capitals haven’t played poorly in this series, but the offense has mustered just 5 total goals, as Shesterkin has been a brick wall. Like the Rangers, the Capitals have been on an Under run, going low on the total at a 7-1-3 clip in the past 11 outings.
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Rangers at Capitals odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 2:39 p.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Rangers -190 (bet $190 to win $100) | Capitals +155 (bet $100 to win $155)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rangers -1.5 (+130) | Capitals +1.5 (-155)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Rangers at Capitals projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (36-17-2, 2.58 GAA, .913 SV%, 4 SO in regular season) vs. Charlie Lindgren (25-16-7, 2.67 GAA, .911 SV%, 6 SO in regular season)
It’s hard to imagine the Rangers not riding Shesterkin in Game 4, but he was not confirmed as of early Sunday afternoon. Could they potentially use G Jonathan Quick for the close-out game, resting the starter with a cushion in the series?
Shesterkin has had it on lockdown in this series, going 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA and .933 SV% in the 3 outings, allowing just a single goal in 2 of the victories.
Lindgren is confirmed for the Caps, and the Lakeville, Minn., native has certainly done his part. He has allowed 11 total goals in his first full playoff series, going 0-3-0 with a 3.77 GAA and .864 SV%. While he hasn’t been nearly as sharp as Shesterkin, he has been good at times. But he hasn’t been great, and he hasn’t had very much offensive support, with the Caps posting just 1.7 goals per game (GPG) in the series.
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Rangers at Capitals picks and predictions
Prediction
Rangers 3, Capitals 2
Moneyline
The Rangers (-190) will cost nearly 2 times your potential return, and that’s way too much risk against a team with its backs against the wall.
The Capitals (+155) are likely to show some fight in what could be their last game of the season, and most likely their final game on home ice, even if they can grab a win and get the series back to New York for Game 5.
PASS.
Puck line/Against the spread
The CAPITALS +1.5 (-155) aren’t priced out of line as home underdogs on the puck line.
The hardest win to get is the 4th one in a series. The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers were trying to close out sweeps on Saturday and were unable to do so. The Rangers -1.5 (+130) should experience similar difficulties, as the Capitals show desperation and urgency, trying to stay alive.
Over/Under
UNDER 5.5 (-115) is the lean, but it’s only worth a half-unit play at best.
We’ve had the Under cash in 2 of 3 games in the series, including Game 3 in D.C. The Capitals offense has amassed just 5 goals in the 3 games so far, and they’re not likely to suddenly explode all over Shesterkin. The defense and goaltending must be better in Game 4, and with a lot more desperation and selling out, we should see them keep the Rangers to 3 or fewer goals. It shouldn’t be shocking to see his game tied 2-2 going into overtime to decide thing
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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
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