The New York Rangers will host the Florida Panthers in an Eastern Conference NHL matchup on Monday. In what predicts to be a close battle between two of last season’s best squads. While the Rangers have held up that end of the bargain this year, the Panthers have been somewhat disappointing. Still, they threaten the Rangers, even on the road. We’re going to make some Rangers-Panthers picks for Monday night’s showdown.
Before diving into the NHL Picks for the Rangers-Panthers clash, make sure to check out our top hockey betting sites, as well as the Vegas odds for the NHL in the 2022-23 season.
Heading into Monday night’s matchup, the Rangers have a slight edge over the Panthers in terms of odds. On their home ice, the Rangers are favorites (-135) over the Panthers (+115), but not by much. The spread indicates it’d be a surprise for this game to be decided by more than one goal, sitting at Rangers -1.5 (+170), while the total is sitting at 6.5 goals.
The New York Rangers are off to a solid start to the season, sitting in third place in the Metropolitan Division, behind the Carolina Hurricanes (66) pts and New Jersey Devils (64 pts). The Rangers have 57 points and logged a 24-14-7 record through 45 games this season. Regarding goal differential, the Rangers have a +22 this season, scoring 145 times (3.22 goals per game) while conceding just 123 (2.73 per game).
It’s been a three-headed monster leading the scoring charge for the Rangers this season. Forward tandem Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin have a team-high 47 and 46 points, respectively. Meanwhile, the defenseman and assist machine Adam Fox has 45 points, 36 of which he’s been the assistant.
Over their last ten games, the Rangers have a record of 6-2-2, including an overtime loss to the Devils and a shootout loss to the Wild. During that stretch, the Rangers beat some tough opponents, including the Hurricanes and the Panthers. In their recent clash with Florida, the Rangers’ defense managed to stifle the Panthers, winning 5-3 on the first day of 2023.
The Jan. 1 matchup was their only season meeting thus far, though they’ll face off Monday and again in March. Last year, the Rangers got the better of their three-game season series, winning two games. All three of those games had exactly seven goals scored, and the Rangers scored at least three goals in all of their meetings, this season’s included.
With all that in mind, there is one bet I’m targeting for the Rangers; New York Rangers Money Line (-135). I think the Rangers will pick up another win against the Panthers and continue their strong run against their Eastern Conference foes while maintaining their strong run of form.
The Florida Panthers haven’t looked like the dominant regular-season team we saw last year, but they’ve heated up late. With a 23-20-5 overall record, the Panthers sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division. They have 51 points, trailing the third-place Lightning by eight points. While the Panthers have a potent offense, their defense has been lackluster. They have a dead-even goal differential in the year, scoring and conceding 163 goals.
The Panthers both score and concede an average of 3.39 goals per game. Only two teams in the Eastern Conference, the Montreal Canadiens, and Columbus Blue Jackets, have conceded more goals. Meanwhile, only the Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres have scored more goals in the Eastern Conference.
Star offseason acquisition Matthew Tkachuk is leading the charge offensively, as expected. In 45 games this year, Tkachuk has 59 points, including 24 goals and 35 assists. Aleksander Barkov has 40 points in 38 games, having returned after battling an illness earlier in the year. When those two are at their best, the Panthers are sure to score a plethora of goals.
That’s been the case lately. Florida is the winner of seven of its last ten games and has scored at least four goals in five consecutive games. With the Panthers on an offensive heater right now, I expect a high-scoring game on Monday night. Because of that, the second pick for the game is the Total of Over 6.5 goals (-130).
Before diving into the Rangers-Panthers NHL betting action and making your Hart Trophy picks, check out our top sportsbook reviews, which have plenty of information to help you find the best betting site for your needs.
