The surging New York Rangers will look to build off their perfect start to the year as they square off with the Winnipeg Jets who will be making their season debut this evening. It is time to check out our NHL odds series, where our Rangers-Jets prediction and pick will be revealed.
Storming out of the gates with a perfect 2-0 record to begin play, the New York Rangers seem to be a team that is motivated to build off their success of reaching the conference finals for the first time since the 2014-2015 season. Now, the Rangers are hopeful that they can take that next step of raising a Stanley Cup Championship banner at the conclusion of the season in June.
While New York has already participated in a pair of games out on the ice, Friday night's contest will mark the first of 82 games played by the Winnipeg Jets this season. After compiling a winning record of 39-32-11 during the 2021-2022 season, the Jets still finished in 11th place and missed out on their goal of reaching the postseason. Regardless, hopes are high for a Winnipeg squad that is not short on talent.
Here are the Rangers-Jets NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Rangers-Jets Odds
New York Rangers: +1.5 (-215)
Winnipeg Jets: -1.5 (+172)
Over: 6.5 (-104)
Under: 6.5 (-118)
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
About to play their third game in six days to begin the season, the Rangers have been no strangers to scoring the puck in waves. Thus far, New York has generated ten goals in their previous two games and appears to have no signs of slowing down. Even though the defense and goaltending haven't been perfect, this is an extremely tough team to beat when they are clicking on all cylinders in the opposing team's zone.
For starters, the Rangers have a great chance to cover the spread because of the stellar start to the campaign by left-winger Artemi Panarin, who is coming off of an explosive four-point performance. So far, Panarin has been one of the best players in hockey as he leads the NHL with five points. Additionally, be on the lookout for fellow left-winger Chris Krieder to continue his strong play as he notched a pair of goals in the 7-3 victory over the Wild last night. Without a doubt, these are the hottest skaters on the ice for the Rangers at the moment and the two of them should give New York a great chance to cover the spread out on the road.
Of course, New York is also equipped with one of the best goalies on the face of the planet in Igor Shesterkin, as he is fresh off of a solid 33-save outing versus the Wild. Despite tonight serving as the second game of a back-to-back, don't be surprised if Shesterkin stands on his head.
Why The Jets Could Cover The Spread
Over the years, the Jets have made a name for themselves around the league by playing gritty and smart hockey. In fact, despite taking a slight step backward last season, this organization is used to a winning culture and even made the Western Conference Finals as recent as 2018. With that being said, this is a Winnipeg squad that is not used to at least clinching a berth as a playoff team, so expect the Jets to come out with their hair on fire later this evening to get the season started off on the right foot.
To begin, the Jets will have a new face leading them out onto the ice as former head coach Paul Maurice decided to resign back in December and replacement Dave Lowry failed to take charge of the position after the Jets stumbled across the finish line a year ago. Instead, Winnipeg hired Rick Bowness, who believe it or not began his coaching career in the Jets' minor league system before serving as an assistant for the club. After stints with the Senators, Islanders, Coyotes, and Stars, he has finally returned home as the head boss. With Bowness at the helm for this upcoming season, Winnipeg will be playing motivated to get their coach his first victory as the Jets head coach.
With Bowness preaching aggression and accountability towards his team, expect the Jets to take full advantage of having the Vezina-winning goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck at their disposal along with 47-goal scorer Kyle Connor paving the way on offense. If Winnipeg can get off to a hot start and avoid playing from behind against a scalding-hot Rangers squad, then the home crowd at Canada Life Centre should energize the entire building to help the Jets secure the spread-covering victory.
Final Rangers-Jets Prediction & Pick
As much as the Jets want to win this one my multiple goals for their first-year coach, the Rangers will be shaking no rust off after already playing three games under their belts. With the line set at-1.5 in favor of Winnipeg, the smart pick would be to take New York to cover on the road.
Final Rangers-Jets Prediction & Pick: Rangers +1.5 (-215)
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