The second half of the 2023-24 NHL regular season begins with a two-game slate on Monday night. As you probably know, both New York teams are in action.
Rangers vs Avalanche Prediction
While there has been a lot of press surrounding the Rangers’ hot start to the season, it took a while for the hockey world to wrap its head around the fact that the Blueshirts have been the definition of mediocrity over the past two months.
The Rangers are 12-12-2 in their last 26 games (81 for, 81 against) and have won five of their last 13 games.
Plus, those five wins have come against Chicago, Washington, Seattle, Anaheim, and Ottawa, not exactly killer opponents.
Igor Shesterkin’s play has been in the spotlight thanks to his .899 save percentage and +0.5 goals against (GSAx) above expectations, but the Russian netminder isn’t the only one to blame for this slump. .
The Blueshirts will not be able to generate enough volume from the middle of the lineup and pedestrian 5-on-5 play will leave them reliant on difference-making goaltenders and special teams.
NHLI (via Getty Images)
This formula works and has worked for the Rangers, but it’s a dangerous formula against one of the NHL’s best teams.
Despite some bumps along the way, Avalanche has recently bounced back and established himself as one of the leading contenders on the circuit.
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Nathan MacKinnon ranks second in the NHL with 84 points, one point behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov. Colorado entered All-Star Weekend with an 11-3-1 record and +16 goal differential since the Christmas break, with the fourth-highest scoring percentage and goal differential in the league.
While the Rangers are better than a 12-12-2 team since early December, these odds still give them overvalue.
The Avs look like a good bet here.
Bet: Avalanche ML (-105, BetRivers)
