The New York Rangers and Detroit Red Wings will square off Thursday night in a home-and-home showdown at Motown.
The Blueshirts won the first leg 4-1, but that scoreline is a little flattering for the winners.
That's not to say Rangers didn't deserve the two points, just that it wasn't as one-sided as the final score suggests. Expected goals (xG) at 5-on-5 favored Detroit by 2.1 to 1.7.
Are the betting markets underestimating the Wings' potential in Game 2 of this home-and-home series?
Rangers vs. Red Wings predictions
The Rangers' formula won't change much this season.
The Blueshirts are elite on special teams and have one of the best goalies in the world.
This means a Blueshirt team can have a pedestrian record at 5-on-5 and still have plenty of success. With that methodology, they won the Presidents Trophy in 2023-2024.
The Red Wings can't afford Igor Shesterkin, but they were a top-10 team on the power play last season and were above average on the penalty kill.
That's no surprise considering the roster includes players like Dylan Larkin, Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat, and Moritz Seider at the top of the roster.
Detroit's main problem is their lack of depth, especially on the blue line. Moritz Seider and Simon Edvinsson should be on their way to becoming great top-four defensemen, but their supporting cast will also need a lot of help.
The way the Wings tried to protect this flaw was by playing tough hockey with low events that allowed them to hang around in games. I hope something similar happens in this match and in the future.
Would you bet on the NHL?
The Blueshirts want to take the lead and make this game a back-and-forth affair, while the Red Wings want the opposite, making it a battle of contrasting styles.
That could be a pretty messy affair, and it should be pretty close throughout. This makes it worthwhile to take this game to overtime at odds of +360.
Bet: Regulation Tie (+360, FanDuel)
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Michael Levov told the New York Post that he handicaps the EPL, NHL, golf, and anything other than the NFL and NBA. He bet on EPL and gained 49.73 units, giving him an ROI of 7.17%.
