NHL Best Bets: Capitals vs. Rangers Game Picks

Two Metropolitan Division rivals face off tonight from Madison Square Garden, with the New York Rangers hosting the Washington Capitals.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

It certainly hasn’t been a season to remember for the Washington Capitals, who’ve dealt with a plethora of injuries. It appears they’re going to fall short of making the postseason, while the Rangers loaded up their roster to try and make a playoff run with their current core. New York is the favorite in this matchup on the moneyline at -170, while the Capitals are priced at +140. This will be the third time these teams have faced off, which has already seen the Capitals post two victories and outscore the Rangers 10-3. 

Neither of these teams is playing particularly well entering this matchup. The Capitals and Rangers have both posted a 4-5-1 record over their past ten games, and there really hasn’t been a lot of consistency that’s been present for either side. 

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the visiting Capitals are expected to start Darcy Kuemper, while the Rangers should do the same with Igor Shesterkin. The Capitals netminder has been a bright spot for the club, which has seen him post a 20-20-5 record, paired with a .913 save percentage. After winning the Vezina last year, Shesterkin hasn’t played quite as well this season, posting a 29-11-7 record, along with a .910 save percentage. 

With the success that the Capitals have managed to find against the Rangers in their two multi-goal victories, there’s merit in considering them as a strong option on this Tuesday slate. With the Rangers struggling to find chemistry with their new pieces, this veteran Caps squad has the makings of a team who can upset them in a matchup like this. 

Best Bet: Capitals moneyline (+140) 

The earlier meetings have seen the teams combine to score four and nine goals, respectively. The Rangers and Capitals continue to sit as a middle-of-the-road team in goals scored per game, while both sides are also in the top 13 of the league in goals allowed per game. Over the Capitals’ past five games, they’ve seen seven or more goals scored just once, while the Rangers have seen that transpire in two contests. With those trends in mind, there is a lot of value backing the under 6.5 at -122. 

Best Bet: Under 6.5 (-122) 

The Washington Capitals might no longer be the elite goal-scoring team they were in the early 2010s, but they still have talent on their roster to find the back of the net on any given slate. In that mix of players, Alex Ovechkin is arguably the best goal scorer of all time, who continues to age like fine wine and produce at a high clip. Ovechkin has tallied 36 goals in 62 games and leads the club with three over their past five games. The Russian sniper is priced at a very appetizing number of +130 to find the back of the net tonight. 

Best Prop: Alex Ovechkin to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+130)