The New York Rangers (22-8-4) travel to meet the Vegas Golden Knights (22-13-1) Thursday at T-Mobile Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 10 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Rangers vs. Golden Knights odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Rangers powered past the Edmonton Oilers last time out at Madison Square Garden, posting a 4-1 win as short ‘dogs. That’s three straight wins, outscoring the opposition by a 12-4 margin.
The Golden Knights were tripped up at home by the Nashville Predators 3-2, as prospect Logan Thompson made the start with Robin Lehner nursing a lower-body injury, and Laurent Brossoit dealing with an upper-body issue.
Rangers at Golden Knights odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:50 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Rangers +130 (bet $100 to win $130) | Golden Knights -160 (bet $160 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Rangers +1.5 (-190) | Golden Knights -1.5 (+145)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -145 | U: +115)
Watch: ESPN+ has become a must-have for hockey fans. Get access to more than 1,000 out-of-market NHL games, 75 weekly national games, and more all season. Sign up for ESPN+ now!
Rangers at Golden Knights projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (15-4-2, 2.09 GAA, .936 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Robin Lehner (14-9-0, 3.03 GAA, .905 SV%)
Shesterkin turned aside all 38 shots he faced against the defending-champion Tampa Bay Lightning last time out Sunday for his second shutout of the season. He has now won eight of the past nine outings.
Lehner hasn’t worked since Dec. 19 as he has been dealing with a minor lower-body injury. Before his injury, he has won four consecutive outings. He is 7-5-0 with a 3.15 GAA and .902 SV% at home this season.
Rangers at Golden Knights odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Rangers 3, Golden Knights 2
Money line
The RANGERS (+130) are a solid value on the road, as the Blueshirts are playing well, especially with Shesterkin in the crease. The 26-year-old has been better at home, but he is a respectable 8-3-0 with a 2.34 GAA and .928 SV% on the road, too. Lehner might not quite be 100 percent, and the VGK offense will have difficulty trying to solve the Russian backstop.
Against the spread
The RANGERS +1.5 (-190) isn’t too overpriced if you’re not quite feeling the Original Six club straight up, and you would like a little bit of insurance. The better value is playing them straight up, but three of their past four losses have been by one goal, so this isn’t terribly out of line.
Over/Under
UNDER 5.5 (+115) is a solid play at plus-money, as Shesterkin isn’t allowed much, and the Rangers are averaging 2.8 goals per game in the previous five on the road. This won’t be a defensive slog, but we shouldn’t have fire wagon hockey here, either.
If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW. Please gamble responsibly.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1622]