Minnesota Wild vs. New York Rangers Betting Guide: Rangers Won't be Able to Tame Wild

Minnesota Wild vs. New York Rangers Moneyline, Total and Odds

Moneyline: Wild -132|Rangers +110

Spread: Wild -1.5 (+176)|Rangers +1.5 (-225)

Total: 6 Over -108|Under -112

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Minnesota Wild vs. New York Rangers News, Analysis, and Picks

The New York Rangers don’t have much time to lick their wounds after last night’s 5-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. On Friday night, the Broadway Blueshirts are back in action against the Minnesota Wild, kicking off a four-game road trip. The betting line has shifted in favor of the visitors but not far enough.

Minnesota comes into tonight’s contest after a string of dominant performances. The Wild have outplayed three of their past four opponents at five-on-five, posting expected goals-for percentages above 60.0% in all three contests. Cumulatively, the Wild have posted a 64.2% rating over the four-game sample thanks to their impenetrable defensive zone coverage. Minny has limited all four opponents to nine or fewer quality chances over that span, with a four-game average of 5.3 chances per game. That’s expected to continue against a Ranger squad that could be on the precipice of regression.

Last night’s contest was the first time since December 3, 2021, that the Rangers had outplayed an opponent at five-on-five, a span of 23 games. New York’s offense has been unimpressive throughout that streak, hitting double-digit high-danger chances just five times over that stretch and attempting more than 23 scoring opportunities on just two occasions. That has created a massive gap between production and output metrics, putting the Rangers on an unavoidable path with a downturn in their scoring.

The Rangers have not been as dominant as their record implies. They have the second-highest PDO in the league but the 21st-ranked expected goals-for percentage across all strengths. Minnesota’s hitting their stride, and they should limit New York on Friday.

The Picks: Wild -132

All NHL predictions and picks are courtesy of SportsGrid.