The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers are already locked into their postseason spots but will do battle one last time in the regular season tonight at Madison Square Garden.
Pittsburgh eliminated the Rangers in five games en route to its Stanley Cup run a year ago, while the Penguins have gone three of their past four meetings with New York. The Pens had a four-game winning streak halted in a 5-3 loss to Toronto on Saturday, surrendering three goals in the final 5 1/2 minutes of the game.
Bettors beware: these teams have been resting a lot of key players of late with games remaining that won’t impact playoff position. Backup goaltender Antti Raanta will get the call for the Rangers, while Marc-Andre Fleury is expected to be between the pipes for the Blueshirts.
The OVER is traditionally a solid play when these teams get together, evidenced by it going 8-1-3 in the last 12 matchups.
A 3.7-1.6 result in favor of the Penguins is the prediction by the Odds Shark handicapping pick engine. View the computer score prediction and who will win the pick on the moneyline for all upcoming NHL matchups here.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Rangers Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The New York Rangers are 47-28-6 so far on the season. The Pittsburgh Penguins, meanwhile, are 50-20-11. OVER/UNDER betting fans have seen New York go 40-35-6 and the Penguins go 47-29-5 on the totals. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and New York vs Pittsburgh injuries news.
According to new NHL Power Rankings here at Odds Shark, it's the No. 16-ranked New York Rangers and the No. 8-rated Pittsburgh Penguins in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits New York's No. 4-ranked offense, averaging 3.12 goals per game, against a Penguins defense that ranks No. 17 at 2.85 goals allowed. The Rangers power play is averaging 19.91% while the Penguins defense kills off 80.08% of their penalties.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
Pittsburgh was a 5-3 loser in its last match on the road against the Maple Leafs. They lost as +168 underdogs, while the total score of 8 made winners of OVER bettors.
New York lost its last outing, a 3-1 result against the Senators on April 08. Bettors who backed the Senators at -147 on the moneyline won on the day, and the total score (4) sent UNDER bettors to the payout window.
Next Betting Matchups
Pittsburgh home to , Wednesday, December 31st
New York home to , Wednesday, December 31st