Saturday’s game between the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks is dripping with drama.
Not only is it J.T. Miller’s first time facing his old team, but it’s also a must-win game for both clubs.
The Rangers enter play on Saturday trailing Montreal by two points in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
Vancouver is one point behind St. Louis for the final playoff berth in the West.
The Rangers are a -145 favorite at BetMGM Sportsbook.
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Canucks vs. Rangers betting preview
Every time it looks like the Rangers are getting back on track, things fall apart all over again. The Blueshirts pitched back-to-back shutouts on March 3 and 3, but they followed up those performances with four losses on the bounce.
The Rangers then won back-to-back games against Minnesota and Columbus last week, only to undo that work with three losses in a row.
This helter-skelter rhythm has landed the Blueshirts in a must-win spot on Saturday, but there aren’t many indicators that the Rangers will be up to the task.
As much firepower as the Rangers have going forward, they’ve been a disaster in their own zone of late. Only Pittsburgh has conceded more high-danger scoring chances than the Blueshirts over their last 10 games.
The Rangers can get away with some mistakes here and there thanks to goalie Igor Shesterkin and a talented offense, but it’s gotten out of hand.
Canucks vs. Rangers pick
The Canucks come into Saturday after an overtime loss against the Blues – the team they’re chasing in the playoff hunt – but it was an encouraging effort.
Brock Boeser tied the game with four seconds left, earning Vancouver a massive point.
The Canucks’ 5-on-5 numbers aren’t elite of late, but their 52% expected-goals rate over their last 10 games is the 13th-best mark in the NHL in that span.
Betting on the NHL?
These are two flawed teams in a desperate spot, but everything in the numbers suggests this is a coin flip. That puts value on the underdog, even if it’s a tough schedule spot.
The Pick: Canucks +120 (BetMGM)
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