In their first head-to-head meeting of the regular season, the Philadelphia Flyers and the New York Rangers meet at Madison Square Garden for a divisional tilt. The opening face-off takes place at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, January 16, and fans at home will be able to catch it live on NBC Sports Network.
Philadelphia Flyers at New York Rangers Odds
New York comes into the game as the narrow favorite with a moneyline of -115. The line for Philadelphia sits at -105, and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-120 under, +100 over).
New York is 22-22 straight up (SU) and has lost 2.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a regression from the 48-34 record that the team managed during last years regular season campaign. Through 44 regular season contests, 23 of its games have gone over the total, while 19 have gone under and just two have pushed. The team is 15-11 SU at home this season.
The Rangers have converted on 18.7 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is rated second overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 84.3 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, the Rangers have been penalized just 3.5 times per game overall this season, and 2.0 per game over their last five outings. The teams had to kill penalties for just 7.1 minutes per game over their last 10 matchups, in total.
Averaging 29.5 saves per game with a .923 save percentage, Henrik Lundqvist (19 wins, 18 losses, and four OT losses) has been the best goalkeeper for the Broadway Blueshirts this year. If New York chooses to give him the night off, however, the team might turn to Ondrej Pavelec (3-8-8 record, .915 save percentage, 2.97 goals against average).
Mats Zuccarello and J.T. Miller will both be focal points for the Rangers. Zuccarello (32 points) is up to eight goals and 24 assists and has recorded multiple points on six different occasions this year. Miller has eight goals and 19 assists to his name and has recorded at least one point in 20 games.
Philadelphia is 20-23 straight up (SU) and has lost 5.4 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. Through 43 regular season contests, 23 of its games have gone over the total, while 18 have gone under and just two have pushed. The Flyers are 9-11 SU as the road team this season.
The Flyers have converted on 21.9 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s good enough for sixth-best in the league. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 29th overall and it’s successfully killed off 75.0 percent of all opponent power plays.
Philadelphia’s players have been penalized 3.7 times per game this season, 4.2 per game over their last five contests total, and 4.2 per game over their last five games as the visiting team. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays 9.0 minutes per game over their last five road outings.
Brian Elliott (26.9 saves per game) has been the primary option in the net for Philadelphia. Elliott has 17 wins, 18 losses, and seven OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .909 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average this year.
Claude Giroux (14 goals, 40 assists) has been one of the primary playmaking threats for the visiting Flyers.
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Rangers Free Picks
Predictions: SU Winner – Rangers, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- Four of New York’s last ten games have been decided by a shootout. The team is 2-2 in those games and 3-4 overall in shootouts this season.
- The over has hit in three of New York’s last five outings.
- New York has averaged 3.0 goals per game this season, but is averaging 1.7 goals per contest on its three-game losing skid.
- Seven of Philadelphia’s last ten games have been decided by two goals or more. The team is 5-2 in those games.
