The NHL betting action goes on Wednesday, November 24, with the Battle of New York, as the Rangers and Islanders lock horns for the first time in 2021-22, so we bring you the best betting pick and odds for this Metropolitan Division showdown at UBS Arena in Elmont.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Rangers are small -112 road favorites to win straight up. The Islanders are +102 moneyline underdogs, while the totals are listed at 5.5 goals.
The Rangers hope to stay on the winning path
The New York Rangers (11-4-3) bounced back from a tough 2-1 defeat at the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 5-4 home victory to the Buffalo Sabres this past Sunday. It was their fifth victory in the last six outings at any location, and the Rangers continue to chase Washington and Carolina in the Metropolitan Division.
New York barely outlasted Buffalo thanks to Ryan Lindgren’s second goal of the season with one second left on the clock in the third period. The Rangers took 14 shots (36-22) and 18 hits more than their rivals (34-16), while Artemi Panarin led the way with three assists.
Igor Shesterkin is expected to guard the cage Wednesday and get his fourth straight starting call. Shesterkin is 9-3-2 with a 2.33 GAA and a .931 save percentage on the season. The Rangers are yielding 2.83 goals per game (14th in the NHL) while scoring 2.78 in a return (19th).
The Islanders want to stop their six-game slide
The New York Islanders (5-8-2) started the 2021-22 NHL season with a ridiculous 13-game road trip. They are still winless in their brand-new USB Arena, losing to Calgary 5-2 and Toronto 3-0 in a back-to-back set this past weekend.
Ilya Sorokin (2.54 GAA; .925 SV%) patrolled the crease against the Maple Leafs on Sunday and posted 37 saves just to drop to 5-5-2 on the season. The Islanders took only 20 shots in a return, failing to find the back of the net for the second time in the last five outings.
New York is tallying only 2.07 goals per contest (31st in the NHL) on a terrible 6.9 shooting percentage (32nd). The Islanders are yielding 3.07 goals per game (19th) while posting the 15th-best penalty-killing percentage in the NHL (81.4%). Semyon Varlamov is expected to guard the cage against the Rangers, and he’s 0-3-0 with a 3.31 GAA and .894 save percentage in 2021-22.
Trends:
NY Rangers:
- 5-1 in the last six games overall
- 9-1 in the last ten games against the Eastern Conference
NY Islanders:
- 0-6 in the last six games overall
- 1-8 in the last nine games against the Eastern Conference
New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders Pick
The Islanders have some serious selection problems. Seven players are on the COVID-19 list, including three defensemen and four wingers, while defenseman Ryan Pulock and center Brock Nelson are sidelined with injuries.
Hereof, I have to go with the Rangers, although I don’t like betting against the teams on a long losing streak. The Islanders will be fired up to earn their first victory at USB Arena, but overcoming those selection problems will be a tall order.
Pick: Take New York Rangers at -112
The Total:
Betting on the under seems like a way to go in this matchup. Both teams are capable of playing tough defense, while the Islanders have been one of the worst offensive teams in the league so far this season.
Seven of the last eight encounters between the Rangers and Islanders went in the under. Six of the Rangers’ last eight games went in the over, but the under is 9-4 in the Islanders’ previous 13 outings.
Pick: Go under 5.5 goals at -122
