Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers Prediction, NHL Odds
What might have looked like a lopsided game a week ago all of a sudden should be a closer, hotly contested game. After a bit of a rocky start to the season, the Rangers enter this game having won three straight. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes got off to a scorching start to the season, but have dropped three out of their last four games.
It is still plenty early in the season to sound any alarms. That said, Carolina would like to break this mini-slump, and the Rangers would like to give their fans the first home win of their season (0-4-1).
Hurricanes vs. Rangers NHL Betting Odds
The Rangers have a -9 goal differential at home so it’s no surprise to see the Hurricanes listed as the -125 favourite on the NHL odds board. The average game total at Madison Square Garden so far is 4.8 with the Rangers contributing just 1.2 goals per game of that average.
To further low-total trends, the under is 3-9 combined for Hurricanes road games and Rangers home games. The total tonight is set at 6.0 goals with the under being available at -120. That could even be teased down for better odds if you are looking for better value. Given recent trends and overall team strengths and weaknesses, there are some ways to get creative betting on this game.
Carolina Hurricanes
As mentioned, the Hurricanes have one win in their last four games as part of two wins in their last six. It has not been as ugly as that sounds, though. Of their four losses, just one goal has been the difference in two of those games. The primary issue the Hurricanes are battling right now is injuries.
In the last few weeks, Carolina has suffered injuries to three of their top six defensemen and two forwards. While their forward group still is plenty deep, losing Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller, and Shayne Gostisbehere on the point has been more of a dagger lately.
New York Rangers
The Rangers really needed the three wins they have strung together entering this game. Prior, they were 3-5-2 and in the cellar of the Eastern Conference. Granted, that is not as meaningful this early in the season. But it thins the margin for error for the stretch run. There is a much better feeling in that Rangers locker room right now. They’ll need to ride that energy into this tough game against the Hurricanes.
The three-game win streak has understandably removed some pressure from this team. However, there is a different pressure the Rangers are facing tonight. Surprisingly, this team is still winless at home through five game with six goals scored and 15 goals allowed. With each home loss, the next matchup at MSG becomes that much more important. The Rangers really need to show up tonight.
NHL Prediction: Who Will Win Hurricanes vs. Rangers?
The Rangers will get their first win at home at some point. But taking them to get that done tonight against the Hurricanes is a tough task. The Hurricanes lost three of their last four to great Golden Knights and Stars teams, snapped it with a convincing 6-2 win over an exciting Islanders team, then narrowly lost to a Bruins team that has had an excellent last week. The Hurricanes are still one of the best teams in hockey despite this mini-slump and are a far more reliable play than this Rangers team. Look for the Canes to come out with a little extra jump in their step to win this one 3-2.
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