Red-Hot Panthers Favored In Trip to Madison Square Garden
The Panthers vs Rangers Preview Has Florida Listed As The Road Favorite
The Two Eastern Conference Division Leaders Are Ready To Rumble
It doesn’t get much better than the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers meeting up with the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Panthers vs Rangers preview has visiting Florida listed as the favorite.
The Rangers had won four games in a row against their Eastern Conference rivals before Florida won 4-3 as a home favorite on Dec. 29.
The NHL betting lines have Florida priced at -120 to win the game outright, with the Rangers having even odds to come away with the win.
When looking at the current NHL bracket, the Panthers would be the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, with the Rangers the No. 2 seed.
Florida is tied for third at +900 in the odds of winning the Stanley Cup title. The Rangers are tied for fifth at +1000 in the championship odds.
Keep reading for more on the showdown between the Panthers and the Rangers.
Panthers vs Rangers 
Day/Time:
Records: Panthers (41-16-4)/Rangers (40-17-4)
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Streaming: Bally Sports Florida, MSG, ESPN+
Panthers Claw Their Way to the Top of the Standings
Florida has taken over sole possession of the points lead in the NHL thanks to a stretch of 14 wins over the last 16 games. The Panthers take a four-game winning streak into the matchup against the Rangers.
When looking at the hockey scores, Florida had lost four games in a row with a pair of overtime losses before reversing its course.
The Panthers lead the NHL with a 1.56 goals-against average since the run of success began with a 4-1 road win over Nashville. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Panthers vs Rangers preview.
Matthew Tkachuk not only leads Florida with 16 assists and 25 points but also joins Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett as Florida players with plus/minus numbers of +10 or better.
Rangers Soaring At The World’s Most Famous Arena
Only the Colorado Avalanche have posted more home wins than the Rangers.
Since a 5-2 loss to defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas on Jan. 26, the Rangers have won seven consecutive home wins, with six of them coming at Madison Square Garden. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Panthers vs Rangers preview.
It hasn’t always been easy, with two overtime wins and two other games headed that way before late empty-net goals.
Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider led the way with 15 goals each in 28 home games, with 11 different hockey players having at least 10 points at home this season.
Six of the games during the current home winning streak have been played at Madison Square Garden. Panarin leads the Rangers with eight points, and Kreider has a team-high of four goals.
The Rangers are just 13-15 against the spread on home ice.
Last Meeting
Sam Reinhart had two goals, while Carter Verhaeghe scored with 6:23 left to play as Florida snapped a four-game losing streak to the Rangers. The Rangers have won each of the last three home games against the Panthers.
Seven of the last nine games between these hockey teams have been decided by one goal.
Mika Zibanejad led the Rangers with four goals in three games between the teams last season. Aleksander Barkov led Florida with three goals. That is worth considering when it comes to the NHL picks and parlays.
Panthers vs Rangers Betting Preview
The Rangers are second in the NHL in points percentage at home, while Florida has the best points percentage on the road, so buckle up for this matchup.
The Panthers are 19-4 outright as the road favorite this season. New York is listed as a home underdog for just the second time this NHL season.
Just nine of the Panthers’ road games have finished over the total. The total is set at 6 for this matchup.
The total has gone under in five of Florida’s last six games, while five of the Rangers’ last six games also went under the total.
The total went under in four of the Rangers’ last five games against Eastern Conference teams.
Six of Florida’s last eight games against the Metropolitan Division went over the total.
The home team has won six of the last eight games between the teams.
The Rangers continue to play without forwards Filip Chytil and Blake Wheeler.
The Rangers take a six-game winning streak at Madison Square Garden into this game, while Florida has won 12 of its last 13 road games.
This feels like it could be another one-goal affair between two of the top teams in the NHL. Go with the Rangers at +1.5 as a rare home underdog.
For NHL betting news, odds analysis, and more, visit Point Spreads Sports Magazine.
