Rangers vs. Flyers NHL Picks: Goals Galore in Philadelphia?

The top-seeded New York Rangers visit the rival Philadelphia Flyers in a Metropolitan Division clash on Saturday. We break it down with our top Rangers-Flyers NHL picks.

There are 13 NHL games on the docket Saturday despite some being postponed by COVID-19 protocols. We're targeting the Rangers and Flyers for our NHL Game of the Day picks, as the longtime rivals meet for the second time this season. New York won 4-1 when the two sides met at Madison Square Garden on Dec. 1.

The Rangers have gone just 5-3-0 since returning from the COVID-19/holiday break, but they remain tied for first with the Carolina Hurricanes in the Metro, albeit with an extra three games played. The Flyers are 0-4-2 in their last six games and 5-12-5 since Nov. 18. They trail the Rangers by 19 points with two games in hand.

Here are my Rangers-Flyers picks and predictions for their NHL matchup on Saturday (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook and PointsBet; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

Rangers vs. Flyers Game Info

Date/Time: Saturday, Jan. 15, 7 p.m. ETTV: NBCS-PH, MSG+Location: Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA

Rangers vs. Flyers Odds Analysis

The Moneyline has shifted slightly toward the visitors since opening around Rangers -130. The public and sharps are strongly aligned in backing that side and have driven the odds as low as -154 at FanDuel Sportsbook. Rangers backers will find their best price at PointsBet with -145 odds. The Flyers are as profitable as +130 at DraftKings for the upset.

The market's completely split on the Over/Under of 5.5 total goals. Sixty-four percent of the bets are on the Over but 92% of the money is on the Under. There's a chance the line drops to the flat five with that big of a share of the handle, so act quickly if betting the Under - however, all of our top books are offering the lighter vig on that side.

Rangers vs. Flyers Picks

Rangers (-145 via PointsBet) ????Over 5.5 (-115 via DraftKings) ???

SEE ALSO: Top NHL Parlay Picks for Saturday

Rangers vs. Flyers Predictions

Rangers (-145)

The Flyers and Rangers both had Friday off so we're going to see top netminders Carter Hart and Igor Shesterkin, respectively. Shesterkin is riding a three-game win streak, and he recorded a shutout in each of his last two games while making a total of 75 saves. He stopped 33 of 34 shots against the Flyers on Dec. 1, while Hart allowed three goals on 27 shots. The 23-year-old Flyers netminder has dropped three straight games in regulation, with 12 goals allowed on 97 shots.

Philadelphia was outscored 25-12 and outshot 225-169 over its last six games. Though the Flyers outshot the Rangers 34-28 in their first meeting of the season, that script was flipped after the Rangers surged out to a 3-0 lead just 34 seconds in the second period.

The Rangers are last in the NHL with a Corsi For percentage of 44.09 and 29th with 45.34% of the expected goals scored at five-on-five this season. However, they have the 10th-ranked power play at 22.73% and the third-ranked penalty kill at 85.45%. The Flyers are 26th by CF% and 30th by xGF% at five-on-five. They're also in the bottom half of the league on either side of special teams play.

New York is at relatively full health and has the elite forwards and goaltending to compensate for the surprisingly bad possession stats at even strength. We can back the Rangers -1.5 (+170) on the puck line for an added bonus.

Over 5.5 (-115)

Money is pouring in on the Under but the books are still making that the more profitable side with reduced vig. While it feels risky to be fading the sharps and aligning with the public, the house is seemingly on the Over.

The first head-to-head meeting fell a goal shy of topping this number but the Rangers did their part. They also scored four goals four times in their last seven games, and the Flyers allowed at least three goals in six straight games entering Saturday.

I like this play less than the Moneyline, and even the puck line, but the Over's the side to back on the total.

SEE ALSO: All picks and odds. Be sure to check out SportsbookReview.com’s community forums and betting tools.

Rangers-Flyers picks made 1/15/2022 at 1:30 p.m. ET.