The Vegas Golden Knights and New York Rangers matched up on January 18th in Las Vegas, with the home team pulling out a 5-1 victory. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Golden Knights-Rangers prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.

The season has been going well for the Golden Knights, as they sit second in the Pacific Division. There was hardly a Stanley Cup hangover for the defending champions, and they are rounding back into form at the perfect time. The Golden Knights bounced back on Tuesday night with a 3-2 win over the New York Islanders. A night prior, they drew the ire of their head coach, Bruce Cassidy, with their effort in an overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils. “We played a beer league game out there,” Cassidy said postgame. “We thought it was preseason, I guess.”

The Rangers are stumbling lately, allowing teams in the Metropolitan Division to crawl back into the race for first place. They've lost seven of their last ten games and had a bad West Coast road trip. The team grabbed three of eight points on the trip, losing to the Golden Knights and Kings to start it off before beating the Ducks and losing to the Sharks in overtime. The Sharks' loss was disappointing, as they allowed the league's worst team to come back from a 2-0 third-period deficit.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Golden Knights-Rangers Odds

Vegas Golden Knights: +1.5 (-190)

Moneyline: (+130)

New York Rangers: -1.5 (+155)

Moneyline: (-155)

Over: 5.5 (-128)

Under: 5.5 (+104)

How to Watch Golden Knights vs. Rangers

Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT

TV: ESPN

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Golden Knights Will Cover The Spread/Win

Bruce Cassidy's outburst on Monday night was surprising, as the Knights are playing their best hockey of the season. They've earned a point in six of seven games, including wins over the top teams in the Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions. It's always difficult for a team to show up in their first game after flying across the country, so a poor effort against the Devils in New Jersey wasn't surprising. However, the Golden Knights didn't win a Stanley Cup by resting on their laurels, so their head coach holding them accountable is a good sign for the team going forward.

Apart from the blowup against the Devils, Vegas allowed two or fewer goals in four of their last five games. Logan Thompson held down the net for a while, but Adin Hill returned on Tuesday night to stop 40 shots in a 3-2 win. Hill has an 11-2-2 record this season with a .935 save percentage and will likely get the start again on Friday night on three days' rest. Igor Shesterkin is the expected goaltender for the Rangers, but he hasn't been the best choice this season. Shesterkin has a 19-11-1 record with a .901 save percentage, while veteran Jonathan Quick is 9-4-2 with a .913 save percentage.

Why The Rangers Will Cover The Spread/Win

The Rangers had an abysmal road trip to the West Coast, but they will be ready to bounce back on home ice. They are 1-4-2 on the road over their last seven games but won two straight at Madison Square Garden before the trip. The Rangers can accomplish two things on Friday night. Return to their winning ways after a 1-2-1 road trip and avenge their loss to the Golden Knights last Thursday.

Final Golden Knights-Rangers Prediction & Pick

The oddsmakers having the Rangers as the favorites here makes little sense. The Rangers are playing some of their worst hockey, and the Golden Knights are playing their best. Bruce Cassidy's harsh criticism to start the trip seems to have relit a fire under the Golden Knights. The Golden Knights were boosted by the return of their Stanley Cup hero, Adin Hill, on Tuesday, and we can expect much of the same on Friday.

Click here for more betting news and predictions

Final Golden Knights-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Golden Knights ML (+130)