The New York Rangers are tipped to clip the wings of Detroit when the pair meet tonight on the first of a three-game series, all at the Red Wings home headquarters.
The Rangers lead the Metropolitan Division with a 51-21-4 record while the Red Wings sit fifth in the Atlantic Division and will need to win all of their remaining seven regular season games to stand a play-off chance.
Detroit posted a solid 4-2 away win over the Tampa Bay Lightning last out, but suffered four losses in a row, including to the playoff hunting Panthers, Hurricanes, Capitals and Predators.
The Rangers conversely have won four of their last five, with their only recently loss coming to the Pittsburgh Penguins at home, losing 5-2.
The New York team are odds-on winners, and the Red Wings will do well to produce a solid performance, limit the damage and try score from quick transition and try land a narrow win, at least that is one scenario the hosts will envisage.
Breakdown: A Tale Of Two Teams
| Team | Red Wings | Rangers |
| Record | 37-30-8 | 51-21-4 |
| O/U Record | 41-33-1 | 41-33-2 |
| Spread Record | 42-33-0 | 36-40-0 |
| Injuries | Michael Rasmussen | None |
| Key players to watch | Alex Lyon | Igor Shesterkin |
- Time: 7 PM
- Venue: Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit
- Live Stream: Bally Sports Detroit extra
The head-to-head tilts towards the rangers who have won 8 of their last 13 encounters, including back-to-back wins.
The Rangers start out as favorites with odds of -145, while the Red Wings face odds of +120. There is not much there in deciding an out-and-out clear-cut winner, but the game should be close, very close and could be decided by the odd goal, in a low-scoring thriller. Rangers goal tender Igor Shesterkin is 33-16-2 from 51 starts with a 0.910 SV% and a 2.65 GAA. He is also 4-1 against Detroit, and three of those games were by two or more goals.
The game will be close despite the poor form of Red Wings goal tender Alex Lyon, who will need to step up after allowing four or more goals in seven of his past 11 starts.
But despite Rangers being better across the ice, six of their last 13 games against the Red Wings have been won by one goal, spread evenly among both sides.
Our Picks:
Red Wings Vs Rangers – Rangers To Continue Red-Hot Form, But Game Will Be Close – An Odd Goal To Separate The Pair.
The New York Rangers go into this encounter as favorites despite Detroit having a 15-13 winning record at home, and New York losing 12 times on the road out of 29 encounters.
The stats between the duo look markedly similar with Detroit averaging 3.3 goals and New York 3.5, while the shots average leans towards the Rangers at 31.1 compared to the Red Wings 28.5.
The Red Wings make 29.2 saves compared to the Rangers 27.7 with a similar saves percentage of less than a percent differential.
The substantial difference comes in the clutch moments, which sees Detroit with 14 more losses despite similar averages across the ice. This is why we are leaning towards a 3-2 win for New York.
Rangers ATS:
Red Wings ATS: 42-33-0
Pick 1: New York’s Puck Line At +170
While the Rangers MoneyLine odds of -145 looks a decent punt, the puck line of +170 makes for a more enticing wager.
Pick 2: FT Inc. OT Goals Handicap: Detroit Red Wings +1.5
The traditional rivalry more than current form is the marked variable to look at here and the fact the rangers are well clear atop the Metropolitan Division and complacency could see a surprise.
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