The Carolina Hurricanes will face off with the New York Rangers for Game 1 of the second round. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Hurricanes-Rangers Game 1 prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.

The Hurricanes eliminated the New York Islanders four games to one to advance to the second round. Initially, they knocked off the Islanders 3-1 in Game 1 and 5-3 in Game 2. They edged out the Islanders 3-2 in Game 3 in Long Island. Then, they lost 3-2 in Game 4 to force the series back to Raleigh. The Caners finally eliminated the Islanders with a 6-3 win in front of their fans.

The Rangers swept the Washington Capitals in the first round to advance to the second round. At first, they routed the Caps 4-1 in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers held on for a 4-3 victory at MSG in Game 2. Then, they used special teams to coast to a 3-1 win at the Verizon Center. The Rangers finished off the series with a 4-2 win, thanks to two third-period goals.

The Rangers won the season series two games to one. Furthermore, they won the only game the teams played in Carolina while splitting the two games at MSG.

This will be the second meeting in four seasons between the teams in the playoffs. Significantly, the Rangers defeated the Hurricanes 4-3 in the second round in 2022. The Rangers will hope to do it again.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds: Hurricanes-Rangers Game 1 Odds

Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+230)

Moneyline: -114

New York Rangers: +1.5 (-285)

Moneyline: -105

Over: 5.5 (-104)

Under: 5.5 (-118)

How to Watch Hurricanes vs. Rangers Game 1

Time: 4:00 PM ET/1:00 PM PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Hurricanes Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Hurricanes look for some offense in this one as they head into the world's most famous arena. Significantly, Seth Jarvis is their leader, with three goals and four assists, including one powerplay conversion, with a 27.3 percent conversion rate. Jarvis also has won seven faceoffs and lost six. Meanwhile, Brady Skjei has five assists but has yet to score a goal despite 11 shots.

Martin Necas has one goal and four assists. Also, he has won two draws and lost three. Andrei Svechnikov has one goal and four assists, including one powerplay marker. Additionally, he has fired 15 shots and leveled 14 hits. Evgeny Kuznetsov has generated two goals and two assists, including one powerplay tally. Likewise, he has won 25 faceoffs and lost 22. Sebastian Aho has two goals and one assist. However, he has won just 36 draws and lost 45.

The Hurricanes will need to continue to play good defense. Currently, Frederik Andersen is 4-1 with a 2.25 goals-against average and a save percentage of .912. Andersen hopes to continue to play stout goaltending in front of a defense that limits shots while facing a dangerous offense.

The Hurricanes will cover the spread if Jarvis, Necas, and Aho can all spring to life and generate some scoring. Then, they need to keep limiting shots and play tight defense against the Rangers.

Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win

If the Rangers want people to take them seriously, they will win Game 1 at home and then the second game. Furthermore, they need their offense to continue humming and find ways to put the Hurricanes down.

Mika Zibanejad has been on fire in these playoffs. So far, he has one goal and six assists, including one powerplay conversion. Zibanejad has also had 12 shots on goal while winning 24 draws and losing 25. Meanwhile, he has found a great partner in Vincent Trochek to help get the Rangers' offense going. Trocheck has three goals and three assists, including two markers on the extra-man attack while converting 33.3 percent of his shots into goals. Additionally, he has been elite in the faceoff circle, winning 52 draws and losing just 21.

But the real surprise of the playoffs has been Jack Roslovic. Amazingly, he has potted two goals and two assists, with both tallies coming on the powerplay. Chris Kreider has been quieter than usual, accounting for two goals and one assist. Likewise, Artemi Panarin has just two goals and one assist, including one tally on the extra-man attack.

The defense has been stout. While Adam Fox only has two assists, he has also blocked 13 shots. Jacob Trouba has two assists. Yet, he also has generated 17 hits and blocked 21 shots. They both are doing their job in front of goalie Igor Shesterkin, who is 4-0 with a 1.75 goals-against average and a save percentage of .931.

The Rangers will cover the spread if Kreider and Panarin rise to the occasion to help Trocheck and Zibanejad score. Then, they need Shesterkin to continue his exceptional play and for Fox and Trouba to do well.

Final Hurricanes-Rangers Game 1 Prediction & Pick

These teams have one major thing in common. Ultimately, both teams love to play great defense. Both teams also have great offenses with the capability of scoring at will. Regardless, expect Game 1 to get off to a slower start. Both teams will spend some time trying to figure each other out. Consequently, it will likely mean less scoring for both teams. The Hurricanes and Rangers likely will engage in a 3-2 game for the first game of this series.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Hurricanes-Rangers Game 1 Prediction & Pick: Under: 5.5 (-118)