The New York Rangers and Carolina Hurricanes met four times in the regular season, with the Canes winning three and losing one, as they outscored New York 14-10.
This is why it’s no surprise that NHL playoff odds have the Hurricanes as series favorites.
Below are NHL betting picks and analysis for the Wednesday night matchup.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Odds, Moneyline, Over/Under
Moneyline: Rangers +135 | Hurricanes -160
Spread: Rangers +1.5 (-190) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+155)
Total: Over 5.5 (-120) | Under 5.5 (+100)
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Analysis
In Round 1, the Rangers overcame a couple of shaky starts from Igor Shesterkin. The Vezina favorite was chased from the net twice by the Pittsburgh Penguins but recovered to win the final three games of the series. He has a .911 SV% and a 3.66 GAA.
Mika Zibanejad leads New York in scoring with three goals and 11 points, while defenseman Adam Fox is right behind him with 10 points. Chris Kreider’s five goals lead the Rangers through one round of these playoffs.
Meanwhile, the Hurricanes had the best defense during the regular season, which continued through round one of the playoffs.
Carolina’s defense and backup goaltender Antti Raanta limited the Boston Bruins to 2.86 goals per game. Raanta has a .927 SV% and a 2.37 GAA. The Canes’ defense has also provided significant offense. Tony DeAngelo and Jaccob Slavin lead Carolina in points with eight apiece, DeAngelo with one goal and Slavin with two. Vincent Trocheck and Teuvo Teravainen lead the forward group with seven points each.
Against the puck line, New York is 45-44 and 24-20 on the road, while Carolina is 44-45 and 23-22 at home. A couple of trends to watch are the road team is 4-1 in their past five meetings, but the favorite is 5-2 in the past seven matchups.
Game 1 and the series will depend heavily on the play of Shesterkin.
If he can maintain his play from the end of round one, there won’t be much the Hurricanes will be able to do. However, home ice was vital for Carolina against the Bruins, and they should have an advantage in this first game. Expect the Canes to try and set the tone at home and showcase their defense.
Rangers vs. Hurricanes Predictions
The Picks: Hurricanes moneyline (-160), Under 5.5 (+100)
