President’s Trophy Winners Open as +130 Underdogs
Rangers vs Panthers Pick Analysis Favors the Dog
The President’s Trophy-winning Rangers have a home-ice advantage and a decided edge in net with Igor Shesterkin. But oddsmakers have earmarked the Panthers as -150 favorites to win the best-of-seven series.
Florida is bidding to return to the Stanley Cup after losing to Vegas in five games last season. According to the NHL standings, the Panthers are formidable on the road (30-12-4, including 4-1 in the postseason) and boast arguably the conference’s deepest roster, led by Sam Reinhart, Selke Trophy winner Aleksander Barkov, and Vezina Trophy finalist Sergei Bobrovsky in goal.
Widely regarded as the NHL’s team to beat, the Panthers will present challenges New York has not seen.
Read on for our Rangers vs Panthers betting analysis.
New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers Information
New York Rangers (63-25-4) vs Florida Panthers (60-27-6)
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York
Date & Time: Wednesday, May 22, 8 p.m. ET
Where to Watch: ESPN, ESPN+
Rangers vs Panthers Picks
- Pick: New York Rangers -105
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Rangers vs. Panthers Betting Analysis
For the second straight series, the Rangers open as underdogs. The odds certainly didn’t deter them against Carolina, but the Panthers are a different beast. Scores and odds suggest a closer matchup this time around.
Learn more about our Rangers vs Panthers betting analysis.
1Moneyline:
Florida Panthers -115
New York Rangers -105
2Total:
5.5 goals
3Runline:
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+230)
New York Rangers: +1.5 (-285)
These teams went over 5.5 goals during all three regular-season matchups. They combined for 20 goals (Panthers 11, Rangers 9), an average of 6.6.
Rangers vs. Panthers Betting Preview & Updates
The Rangers appear like shrewd underdog picks given recent trends.
Rangers vs. Panthers Recent Scores
The Panthers beat Tampa Bay in six games, then outlasted Boston in seven games.
The Rangers followed up a first-round sweep of Washington by topping Carolina in six games.
Rangers Slightly Profitable for Bettors
At times, New York has been difficult to peg from a betting perspective. The Rangers went 42-40 against the puck line during the regular season, faring slightly better on the road (22-18).
Key Injuries:
- None
Betting Trends to Know:
- The Rangers have gone over the total in five of their last seven games.
- They are 48-39-5.
Panthers Potent on the Road
Bettors have turned a nice profit backing Florida on the road. During the regular season, the Panthers went 27-14 against the puck line away from home. Per NHL team stats, only Philadelphia (30-10) fared better. Keep that in mind when making your NHL picks and parlays.
Key Injuries:
- None
Betting Trends to Know:
- The Panthers are 29-17 against the puck line on the road.
- Compared to only 16-31 at home.
- Additionally, the Panthers have gone Over the total in six of their last nine games.
Rangers vs. Panthers Betting Prediction
The Panthers face a viable foe in Shesterkin, whose .923 save percentage this postseason rivals his career mark of .927. They’ve fared well against him, scoring 11 goals in three regular-season matchups (one of which was started by Jonathan Quick).
At the same time, the Rangers are capable of keeping pace with the high-flying Panthers. New York has a bevy of opportunistic scorers, led by Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider, who had a hat trick in the third period of Game 6 against Carolina.
NHL odds today list the Rangers as slight underdogs. Side with them at home because of Shesterkin per our Rangers vs Panthers betting analysis pick. The Rangers are the pick at -105 for Game 1.
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