Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers Betting Pick & Prediction 4/21/24

Looking to win big? The Capitals and Rangers face off at 3:00 ET on ESPN. The Rangers are hosting the game at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The over/under goal line for this matchup is currently at 5.5 goals, and the Rangers are favored by -1.5 vs. the Capitals.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS VS NEW YORK RANGERS BETTING PICK

The Pick: New York Rangers -1.5

This game will be played at Madison Square Garden at 3:00 ET on Sunday, April 21st.

WHY BET THE NEW YORK RANGERS:

• Coming in as 1.5 goal favorites, our projections have the Rangers picking up a 4-3 win.
• Take the Rangers on the moneyline
• On the spread, we like Capitals (+1.5)

Is an Upset Waiting to Happen on the Road?

Heading into today’s game, the Capitals are 8th in the Eastern Conference with a record of 40-31-11, and they have gone 4-1 in their last five games. On the road this season, Washington is 18-19-4, and they have won three straight games as the underdog.

Against other Eastern Conference teams, the Capitals have gone 25-25 this season, and they have been the underdog in 62 of their 82 games. Over their last ten games, Washington has gone 4-6, and they are 4th in the Metropolitan Division.

Washington enters this game with a puck line record of 40-42, including going 5-5 against the puck line in their last ten games. So far, the Capitals have had 20 wins by multiple goals and have lost by more than one goal 29 times.

As the underdog, Washington has a puck line record of 35-27, including going 3-0 against the puck line in their last three games. This season, the Capitals have an average scoring margin of -.5 goals per game and have been the underdog in 62 of their 82 games.

For the season, the average number of goals per game in matchups featuring Washington is 5.8. The season’s average over/under line is currently at 6. The Capitals come in with an over/under record of 34-42-6.

Across their last three road contests, Washington has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 2 goals per game.

For their offensive performance, the Capitals come in averaging 2.6 goals per game this season, which is 28th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 30th in the league. Looking at how the Capitals’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 22nd in power play goals and 32nd in shorthanded goals.

Washington will be looking for a good game from Alex Ovechkin who leads the team in scoring with 31 goals, ranking 37th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 34 assists so far.

Defensively, the Rangers come into the season ranked 22nd in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.3 shots per game against New York. For the season, they are ranked 14th in shutouts, coming in with 5 shutouts.

Goalie Charlie Lindgren gets the start and has made 48 starts this season. His record at this point is 25-16, and his save percentage is 0.862%.

Can the Rangers Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

With a record of 54-23-4, the Rangers have clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference and the Metropolitan Division. Heading into today’s game, New York has won two straight games and has gone 7-3 in their last ten games. Over the course of the season, the Rangers have been favored in 64 of their 81 games, and they have gone 43-19-2 in those games.

At home this season, the Rangers have gone 29-11-0, and they have won two straight games at Madison Square Garden. Against other Eastern Conference opponents, New York has gone 34-16 this season. In their last three games, the Rangers have gone 2-1, and over their last five games, they have gone 3-2.

When favored this season, the Rangers have a puck line record of 25-39 and an average scoring margin of +.5 goals per game. Overall, New York has gone 40-41 on the puck line, including going 18-22 at home. So far, the team has 31 wins by multiple goals and an average scoring margin of +.6 goals per game.

Over their last ten games at home, the Rangers have gone just 3-7 on the puck line and 2-3 over their last five. In their last three games at home, the team has gone just 1-2 vs. the puck line. This season, the Rangers have gone 23-19 vs. the puck line on the road.

This season, New York’s games have an average of 6.3 goals per game. The average over/under number for the season is 6.1. The Rangers come in with an over/under performance of 44-34-3.

Across their last three road contests, Washington has been good against the puck line posting a mark of 2-1. Their overall mark in these games was 2-1, while averaging 2 goals per game.

For their offensive performance, the Rangers come in averaging 3.4 goals per game this season, which is 9th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 14th in the league. Looking at how the Rangers’ offense is performing during power plays, they are 7th in power play goals and 11th in shorthanded goals.

The leading scorer for New York’s offense is Artemi Panarin. Coming into the game he has 49 goals, ranking 5th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 69 assists so far.

New York defense takes on the Capitals ranked 22nd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 29.3 shots per game against New York. They also are 14th in shutouts, with 5 shutouts.

Goalie Igor Shesterkin gets the start and has made 54 starts this season. His record at this point is 35-17, and his save percentage is 0.94%.