Ottawa Senators vs. New York Rangers Prediction, NHL Odds
The Rangers are coming off a 3-0 win over Pittsburgh to end a two-game home slide, and pull within two points of first place in the Metropolitan Division standings. The Senators ride a two-game road win streak into the Big Apple, but saw a three-game overall win streak snapped by Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Nashville Predators.
Despite attracting just 15 per cent of the betting action, the Senators have vaulted to +212 underdogs since opening as a distant +230 bet. The Rangers have faded to -256 favourites, and the total has held steady at 6.0, with 57 per cent of sports bettors backing the UNDER.
Senators vs. Rangers NHL Betting Odds
Saturday night’s matchup at Madison Square Garden marks the third and final regular season meeting between these clubs, and the Senators’ first appearance on Broadway since November 2019. The Rangers claimed victory in this season’s two previous dates with the Sens, capped by a 2-1 win in Ottawa on Feb. 20. However, they have not topped Ottawa in three straight since 1996. Low scoring has been commonplace when these teams meet. Just eight total goals have been scored through their first two dates this season, and 23 of their 29 regular season clashes over the past decade have featured five or fewer total goals, fuelling an epic 21-5-3 run for the UNDER.
The Senators have opened the month of April on a tear, winning three of four contests. The club has been steady at both ends of the ice, outscoring opponents by an 18-10 margin over that stretch, and have surrendered just 2.90 goals per game over their past 10 outings. Ottawa has also enjoyed a turnaround on the road, ending a 1-6-0 run by winning three of its past four, and has also outscored the Blueshirts by a 10-3 overall margin during a 2-0-0 run at MSG. The Rangers have effectively shutdown opposing shooters wile winning 10 of their past 14, surrendering just 2.57 goals per game, and allowing one or fewer goals on five occasions. Overall, New York ranks third in the NHL with a team goals against average of 2.54, and ranks second with just 78 goals allowed in 34 home contests.
Ottawa Senators
The Senators’ season-long battle with the injury bug has continued. After missing two months of action earlier this year, Drake Batherson is sidelined once again, this time with an unspecified illness. The club is also expected to be without Tim Stutzle after the crafty German suffered a knee injury in Tuesday’s 6-3 win in Montreal. Stutzle was enjoying a four-game point streak before getting sidelined, and had picked up a point in each of the club’s two previous dates with the Rangers.
New York Rangers
While a tepid Rangers attack has tallied just nine total goals during the club’s current 2-1-1 run, goaltender Igor Shesterkin has remained red-hot. Now perched as a heavy -324 favourite on the Vezina Trophy odds, Shesterkin is coming off his fourth shutout performance of the season, and has limited opponents to two or fewer goal in nine of his past 12 home appearances.
OTT
NYR