Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Rangers will battle the Dallas Stars on Friday in Texas. It will be an amazing showdown at the American Airlines Arena as we share our NHL odds series and make a Rangers-Stars prediction and pick.
The Rangers are 13-10 over the past 23 games against the Stars. Also, they are 6-3-1 over their past 10 games against the Stars. The Rangers are 3-2 over the past five games against the Stars. This will be the first meeting of the season between the Rangers and the Stars.
Here are the Rangers-Stars NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Rangers-Stars Odds
New York Rangers: +1.5 (-162)
Moneyline: +158
Dallas Stars: -1.5 (+132)
Moneyline: -192
Over: 5.5 (-142)
Under: 5.5 (+116)
How To Watch Rangers vs Stars
Time: 8 PM ET/5 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, Victory+ and MSG
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Rangers Could Cover the Spread/Win
After a hot start, things have spiraled out of control in the Big Apple. Suddenly, the Rangers have a messy culture that threatens to blow up their entire season. The Rangers have already traded Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks. Then, New York traded Kaapo Kaako to the Seattle Kraken. Things do not look good for other boys in New York as they are outside the playoff race, and there is a legitimate chance they might miss it this season.
It only got worse earlier this week when Artemi Panarin suffered an injury and has not played since. It would be a massive blow to lose him for a significant amount of time, as he has 15 goals and 21 assists, including five powerplay markers. Meanwhile, defenseman Adam Fox has one goal and 24 assists. Will Cuylle has produced 11 goals and 12 assists this season.
The Rangers are also having issues with the secondary scoring. Mika Zibanejad looks slow out there and has six goals and 15 assists. The Rangers lack identity on offense, and the dump and chase is not working, especially after getting shut out by the Nashville Predators.
Igor Shesterkin will likely start and has struggled this season. Ultimately, he is 10-12-1 with a 3.04 goals-against average and a save percentage of .908. He will back a defense that has been mediocre this season. So far, they are 15th in goals against. The Rangers have only done one thing well: killing penalties. Significantly, they are second on the penalty kill.
The Rangers will cover the spread if they can actually get to the puck and claim possession to set up good scoring chances. Then, they must avoid taking plays off and prevent the Stars from getting too many chances on offense.
Why the Stars Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Stars have looked good this season at times, and often times struggled. Sadly, they are coming off a 5-3 loss at home to the Toronto Maple Leafs and looked very bad at defending the net. The offense put up three goals. However, they were unable to control the puck enough to prevent Toronto's chances.
Matt Duchene was notably bad on Wednesday, registering a plus-minus of -3. While he does have 13 goals and 17 assists this season, he has not scored a point over his past two games. Mason Marchment has significantly slowed down since Tyler Seguin sustained an injury. Now, he is injured, too, as he left the game against the Leafs and may not play this Friday.
The Stars likely will have to rely on Jason Robertson, who is slowly heating up after a bad start. While he did not score against Toronto, he came into the game with two goals and four assists over his previous three contests. Jamie Benn remains an ageless wonder. He has also registered an assist in five consecutive games. Meanwhile, Roope Hintz stumbled on Wednesday after scoring two goals in his previous game. Hintz has 13 goals and six assists this season.
Jake Oettinger likely gets the start and is 6-8 with a 2.43 goals-against average and a save percentage of .909. He will play behind a defense that is second in goals against while also ranking fifth on the penalty kill.
The Stars will cover the spread if Robertson, Hintz, and Duchene can all produce. Then, the defense must cut off shooting angles and not give the Rangers any confidence.
Final Rangers-Stars Prediction & Pick
The Rangers are 10-21 against the spread, while the Stars are 14-17 against the odds. Moreover, the Rangers are 7-8 against the spread on the road, while the Stars are 11-6 against the odds at home. The Rangers are 14-16-1 against the over/under, while the Stars are 11-17-3 against the over/under.
It's gotten bad in New York, and it will get even worse with Panarin out. With how they play, it is tough to take the Rangers seriously in any game. The Stars cover the spread at home.
Final Rangers-Stars Prediction & Pick: Stars -1.5 (+132)
