The New York Rangers will be paying the St. Louis Blues a visit later tonight. This will be the second meeting of these teams this season, with the Rangers winning the first one in Gotham, 5-3. Will the Rangers double down on their mastery of St. Louis? Or will the Blues finally end their slump at the expense of New York? With that said, it’s a good time to check out our NHL odds series, which includes our Rangers-Blues prediction, odds, and pick we have laid out below.

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Courtesy of FanDuel, here are the Rangers-Blues odds:

NHL odds: Rangers-Blues Odds

Rangers: +1.5 (-250)

Blues: -1.5 (+198)

Over: 5.5 (-122)

Under: 5.5 (+100)

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Why the Rangers Could Cover the Spread 

The three-game win streak came to a halt for the Rangers last Tuesday, as they lost to the Minnesota Wild on the road, 5-2. However, New York did not have world-beater goalie Igor Shesterkin patrolling the crease in that game and instead went with Alexandar Georgiev, who’s not really been playing well this season. But with Shesterkin expected to return to action later tonight, New York’s prospect of getting back in the win column is looking rosy.

Shesterkin has victimized a lot of teams this season with his incredible play between the pipes. He has been sensational, to say the least, and his body of work thus far this season isn’t only getting Vezina Trophy talks but Hart Memorial Trophy considerations as well. On the season, Shesterkin is 28-6-3 with a 1.93 GAA and .942 SV%. In road games, he is 16-2-0 with a 1.92 GAA and .940 SV%. He is the main reason, of course, why the Rangers are No. 1 in the NHL in 5-on-5 SV% (.934) and fifth in PDO (101.4).

Chris Kreider will also look to stay productive. He has four goals and an assist in five games, while Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière have two goals apiece in the same span. Who’s silent, however, is Artemi Panarin, who’s only got two goals in 10 games, though he has eight assists. He also had a goal in the win over the Blues, with Kreider and Lafrenière each finding the back of the net. As long as Shesterkin is guarding the net for the Rangers, New York is always going to have a competitive chance of winning, especially against a St. Louis team that has to bleed for points in recent games.

Why the Blues Could Cover the Spread

The Blues are on a tailspin, as they have gone winless in four games. Their skaters have struggled to supply goals, with the team scoring just seven goals in its last four contests and four in the last three. Those are discouraging numbers to look at heading into a showdown with a team that has the hottest goalie in town. Moreover, the top-three goal scorers for the Blues have combined for just three goals in their five most recent outings. All that being said, the Blues’ might be in for some progression. They have a 96.9 PDO during their ongoing losing streak, while their season PDO is at 102.0.

And even if the Blues fell prey to New York in the first meeting, they had Shesterkin on the ropes in that game, scoring on him three times in the first two periods. As good as Shesterkin is, the Rangers don’t have an impenetrable defense, mainly because of subpar blueline play. The Rangers have the fifth-highest 5-on-5 Expected Goals Against (121.59) this season and have also allowed the fourth-most High-Danger Shots (415) which is to say that the Blues can expect to get some great chances here to feed the net.

Against the Rangers last week, St. Louis won the even-strength shots battle (27-21) and had more High-Danger shots (12-10). The Blues, who lost to the Ottawa Senators last Tuesday, might not have Pavel Buchnevich this Thursday after apparently sustaining an injury in the Sens game. Jordan Binnington had a messy start against Ottawa, giving up three goals on 27 shots faced, but he was solid in his other recent appearances. He has allowed two goals or fewer in three of his past four starts.

Final Rangers-Blues Prediction & Pick

With Shesterkin on goal and the Blues’ offense looking murky at the moment, the Under should be a nice play here. Binnington had a stinker in his last start but he’s certainly capable of bouncing back. 

Final Rangers-Blues Pick: Under 5.5 (+100)