Driving yet another nail into the coffin of the Penguins’ hopes of winning the Metropolitan Division last night, the Capitals can finish the job this evening when they host the Rangers. The Blueshirts, who have nothing left to play for with their matchup against the Canadiens in the first round already locked in, will likely ease up on the gas in their last three games to keep their relatively healthy roster intact as we head into the playoffs.
New York’s position in the playoffs has been locked up for quite some time and it’s showed in the Rangers’ play. They’ve dropped five of their last seven games and have given up three or more goals in four straight games. Their opponents tonight, however, are on fire and they outshot a desperate Maple Leafs team last night 38-28 in Toronto.
The Caps have now won eight of their last nine games and can clinch first place in the Eastern Conference as well as the Presidents’ Trophy with a win tonight.
They opened as the massive -190 favorite in this one and considering they’ve lost just eight of their 39 home games this year, that makes some sense. All that said, the Rangers are the best road team in the league, with 27 wins away from Madison Square Garden, and they probably won’t just roll over tonight.
This is a tough one to handicap given all the motivational factors so my advice would be to take the value, wherever you can find it. Two examples of value bets in this spot would be the Rangers’ moneyline (+160) and the Caps’ puckline (+158). Pick your poison and don’t look back.
Sportsbook Odds & Computer Pick
The Washington Capitals were listed earlier today as -190 moneyline favorites at most sportsbooks tracked by Odds Shark (including Sportsbook), while odds makers set the Sportsbook betting total around 5.5.
A 3.2-2.4 result in favor of the Capitals 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.
New York Rangers vs Washington Capitals Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
The Washington Capitals currently sport a record of 53-18-8. The New York Rangers are 47-26-6. Betting totals have seen the Capitals post a 36-28-15 OVER/UNDER record this season, while the Rangers have gone 40-33-6 against the number. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Washington vs New York injuries news.
The NHL Power Rankings show a disparity between these teams, with the Washington Capitals rated this week at No. 3 and the New York Rangers sitting at No. 17.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Washington's No. 2-ranked offense, averaging 3.27 goals per game, against a Rangers defense that ranks No. 13 at 2.7 goals allowed. The Capitals power play is averaging 23.63% while the Rangers defense kills off 79.72% of their penalties.
Recent Outings Betting Recap
New York was a 4-3 Sportsbook in its last match at home against the Flyers. They won as favorites, while the total score of 7 made Sportsbooks of OVER bettors.
In their last action, Washington was a 4-1 Sportsbook on the road against the Maple Leafs. Bettors on Washington at -150 on the moneyline collected their winnings from that game, while the total score (5) sent UNDER bettors home happy as well.
Next Betting Matchups
New York at Ottawa, Saturday, April 8th
Washington at Boston, Saturday, April 8th