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The Philadelphia Flyers will face the New York Rangers on Thursday at Madison Square Garden. It will be a battle in the World's Most Famous Arena as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Flyers-Rangers prediction and pick.
The Rangers are 47-37 in the past 84 games against the Flyers. Additionally, they are 7-3 over 10 games against the Flyers, including 3-2 in the past five games at the Garden. But the Flyers defeated the Rangers 3-1 on Black Friday at the Wells Fargo Center.
Here are the Flyers-Rangers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Flyers-Rangers Odds
Philadelphia Flyers: +1.5 (-194)
Moneyline: +130
New York Rangers: -1.5 (+156)
Moneyline: -156
Over: 5.5 (-138)
Under: 5.5 (+112)
How To Watch Flyers vs Rangers
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, MSG, NBC Sports Philadelphia
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Flyers Could Cover the Spread/Win
Jon Tortarella has established a gritty culture in Philadelphia, as they lead the league in blocked shots. Because of this, the Flyers have maintained a steady pace and come into this game trailing the Montreal Canadiens by two points for the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference. They will look to beat the Rangers again.
When the Flyers defeated the Rangers earlier this season, they did it by jumping all over them in the first period. Ultimately, they held on despite scoring two goals, finishing it off with an empty-net third goal.
Travis Konecny was the hero in that game, scoring two goals. Likewise, the Flyers got helpers from Sean Couturier, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Travis Sanheim. The offense combined for 35 shots on goal. Additionally, they won 52 percent of the faceoffs, giving them more chances on offense. The Flyers struggled in their only faceoff chance, being unable to convert.
As previously mentioned, the Flyers are a gritty defensive team. They used that ability on Tuesday in their 2-1 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings. Amazingly, they controlled the puck often, giving their offense more chances while also containing Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond, and Patrick Kane. They also did not take a penalty and leveled eight hits while blocking 21 shots. Significantly, Ivan Fedetov made 22 saves and allowed just one goal in the win. Now, the Flyers will likely rely on Samuel Ersson to steady them in the net, and he had a good game against the Wings, stopping 27 of 28 shots.
The Flyers will cover the spread if their offense can continue to get chances due to successful faceoffs. Then, they must remain solid on the defensive end and Ersson must make critical saves.
Why the Rangers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Rangers have had a horrible season. However, things seem to be picking up for them, as they have gone 7-1-3 in January, getting points in 10 of 11 games. Their star players are finally starting to play well and score goals.
Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox were among the many who struggled to do anything against the Flyers in the first game. Therefore, expect them to try and get something going and find a way to put pucks in the back of the net. The Rangers fired just 23 shots on goal in the first game while winning only 48 percent of the draws. Additionally, they struggled in their only powerplay chance.
Igor Shesterkin is on fire lately, with two consecutive shutouts. Ultimately, he will look to take down a team that can score but does not do it often. When the Rangers played the Flyers on Black Friday, they blocked 12 shots and leveled 12 hits. Furthermore, they killed off the only penalty they dealt with. The Rangers will need the defense to continue playing tough defense and find a way to get to the loose pucks.
The Rangers will cover the spread if they can continue generating good chances on offense while drawing some penalties. Then, they must clamp down on defense and prevent the Flyers from getting too many golden opportunities.
Final Flyers-Rangers Prediction & Pick
The Flyers are 25-23 against the spread, while the Rangers are 19-28 against the spread. Moreover, the Flyers are 16-9 against the spread on the road, while the Rangers are 7-15 against the odds at home. The Flyers are 24-23-1 against the over/under, while the Rangers are 21-25-1 against the over/under.
Both teams are attempting to make the playoffs and sit just two points behind the Canadiens for the final wildcard spot. Yet, it is tough to ignore how good the Flyers have been at covering the spread on the road. I like them to play the Rangers tough and go into the Garden and cover the spread on the road.
Final Flyers-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Flyers +1.5 (-194)