Senators vs. Rangers Picks, Predictions: New York Looks for Repeat of Wednesday
Two teams that have been slumping will meet in Manhattan when the Ottawa Senators take on the New York Rangers on Friday. Read on for our Senators-Rangers NHL picks and predictions.
After winning four of six games to open the season, the Senators have since won four of their last 16 games. They had a two-game winning streak snapped with a 3-1 home loss to the Rangers on Wednesday.
That win snapped a three-game losing skid for the Rangers, who have five wins in their last 13 games.
Both teams entered the season with some expectations, but they are not being met. The Senators are in last place in the Atlantic Division while the Rangers are fifth in the Metropolitan Division.
Here are our Senators-Rangers picks and predictions for Friday (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, and Caesars Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5 star scale).
Senators vs. Rangers Game Info
Date: Friday, Dec. 2, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+, MSG, TSN5, RDS
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Senators vs. Rangers Odds
Senators vs. Rangers Odds Analysis
Consensus odds opened with the Rangers priced as -183 favorites. Even though nearly 100% of the early money is coming in on the Rangers, the consensus line has moved to Rangers -172.
The goal total opened at 6.5, priced at -120 for Over and +100 for the Under. In early wagering, 92% of the money is on the Under.
Senators vs. Rangers Picks
- Moneyline: Senators (+155 via DraftKings)
- Over/Under: Under 6.5 (-120 via DraftKings)
- Prop: Tim Stützle Over 0.5 goals (+320 via Caesars)
Senators vs. Rangers ML Pick
Senators (+155) ★★★
The Senators probably deserve better than their results would indicate. Ottawa’s point percentage of .386 ranks 28th in the league and yet it is controlling 52.2% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals. The Sens are 3-6-1 on the road.
Last season, the Rangers were extremely dependent on goaltender Igor Shesterkin and he was up to the task, winning the Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender. This season, Shesterkin has merely been better than average, and the Rangers are not winning as much, even though they have better underlying numbers. The Blueshirts are earning 52.9% of the expected goals. On home ice, the Rangers have four wins through 12 games.
This is not so much about how the Senators are a great team so pick them on the road. It is more that the Rangers are vulnerable and the price for the Senators as underdogs is more appealing.
The Sens can be had on the moneyline for +155 via DraftKings, FanDuel, and Caesars.
Senators vs. Rangers O/U Pick
Under 6.5 (-120) ★★★★
The Senators have not been scoring enough recently to remain consistently competitive. In all situations, the Senators are averaging 6.38 goals for and against per 60 minutes, but that average is falling. They have gone nine consecutive games with a total of six or fewer goals.
While the Rangers are still a top-10 team in goals against, with 2.76 goals against per 60 minutes, they are struggling to generate offense. The Rangers are averaging 2.97 goals per 60 minutes, which ranks 19th. In a dozen home games, the Rangers have played to a total of six or fewer goals seven times.
The Under is available at -120 at most top sportsbooks, though FanDuel has it priced at -124. It won’t take much for this total to drop to six if money keeps coming in on the Under.
Senators vs. Rangers Prop Pick
Stützle Over 0.5 goals (+320) ★★★★
In 17 games since No. 1 center Josh Norris was injured, Senators center Tim Stützle has produced seven goals and 17 points while playing nearly 21 minutes per game. Priced at +320 for an anytime goal, the implied probability for Stützle to score is about 23.8% and he has been better than that.
Certainly, the Rangers present better-than-average defensive opposition, but if Shesterkin is not out of this world, there is enough vulnerability for Stützle to take advantage.
Caesars has an anytime Stützle goal priced at +320, which is better than FanDuel and PointsBet (+300), and substantially better than DraftKings (+270).
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Senators-Rangers picks made 12/2/2022 at 10:15 a.m. ET.
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