Red Wings vs Rangers Best Bets: Big News Overshadow Wide Odds
Patrick Kane is Unlikely to Suit Up For Detroit
Rangers Favored Quite Significantly Against Detroit
Patrick Kane just inked a deal with the Red Wings as they face his most recent one. The NHL odds see the Rangers as somewhat wide favorites at -195. They already beat Detroit 5-3 in their first meeting at home. That’s just one of New York’s many notable victories here. Still, Detroit may be underestimated given how good this team has played. So could Kane’s new team be the Red Wings vs Rangers Best Bets?
Red Wings vs Rangers 
Records: (11-6-3) | (15-4-1)
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Day/Time: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Stream: TNT
Red Wings on the Rise and Worth Betting On
With or without the future Hall of Famer, the Red Wings could be money as an underdog in New York. Yes, Detroit got smoked and the 5-3 score is a bit deceiving considering the Rangers went up 5-0 and beat the Red Wings pillar to post with Jonathan Quick, their backup goaltender, in between the pipes.
But Detroit has been one of the best NHL bets as a dog this season: 9-8 on the moneyline. The Red Wings are also 6-2 on the puck line, mainly as an underdog. One of these losses was against the Rangers though the three goals Detroit scored in the third could mean this team has momentum heading back to ‘MSG’.
Detroit has also been on a roll lately. It has won three straight games with these coming against New Jersey, Boston, and Minnesota. A +175 moneyline is a tempting offer as far as NHL sports betting lines.
To cash that bet, Detroit will have to be better on the penalty kill: 76.5%. It will also have to start much better. Detroit is -3 in goal differential and is outshot by 15 in its first periods. It is 2-2-1 when it gives up the first goal. But the Rangers are 5-0-0 when it scores first at home.
Rangers Have Put Up Big Home Wins
If Detroit is to fare better against the Rangers at the Garden, it will have to find a way to match their energy. New York has beaten teams like Boston and Carolina. This team is rolling and accounts for many NHL picks in parlays.
“Special teams and the start. That was the difference,” Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde said on how the Rangers won their first meeting. “They established the forecheck and created turnovers. Credit to the Rangers.”
The Rangers are only +3 at home due to “only” averaging under 3.6 goals per game. That is despite a red-hot 31.8% power play and over 26.3 scoring chances on 5-on-5 New York is not converting enough. Its 6.7% shooting percentage is the fifth lowest among home teams.
New York would have a better puck line record than 3-5. Still, the Rangers are 6-2 at home and do hold victories against some of the best NHL teams. And a part of that is due to their aggressive offense being the best defense.
The Rangers give up an average of under 2.5 goals per home game. Teams only put up around 27 shots a game against them. New coach Peter Laviolette has quickly turned the team into an efficient winner as he typically does.
With over 1,450 NHL games under his belt, Laviolette has led three different teams to the Stanley Cup Final, winning one. His teams have frequently ranked in the top 10 in goals allowed
As such, betting the ‘under’ here could be the Red Wings vs Rangers Best Bets. The total has gone under in eight of the Rangers’ last 10 meetings with the Red Wings, even if the last game produced eight goals.
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