NHL Pick: Rangers ML (+139) at Heritage Sports (visit our Heritage Sports Review)
The Rangers are one of the best road teams in the league yet the oddsmakers are installing them as substantial underdogs in their game against the Maple Leafs in Toronto tonight. Let’s review the NHL odds on this Eastern Conference clash and keep cashing our NHL picks!
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New York Rangers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
Wednesday, January 25, 2023 – 07:00 PM EST at Scotiabank Arena
Road Warriors
The Rangers will fly to Toronto for a quick date with the Leafs tonight before returning home to take on the Vegas Golden Knights at Madison Square Garden on Friday night. But hitting the highway has proven to be an elixir for the Blueshirts as they are 14-5-3 when away from home and have won 3 of their last 4 road contests.
In their last outing, the Rangers welcomed the Panthers to MSG and sent their guests packing after delivering a 6-2 beatdown of the Cats. Mika Zibanejad had a pair of goals while Adam Fox, Jimmy Vesey, Alexis Lafreniere, and Filip Chytil also lit the lamp en route to the four-goal victory.
It should be noted Florida outshot New York, 35-26, but last season’s Vezina Trophy winner, Igor Shesterkin, was there to stem the tide, as he turned aside 33 of 35 shots and kept all but Carter Verhaeghe and Aleksander Barkov off the scorer’s sheet.
Leafs Bury Isles
Toronto has now won 3 of their last 4 contests with the most recent being a 5-2 victory over the Islanders on Monday. William Nylander did most of the damage for the Maple Leafs with a pair of goals and 2 assists while John Tavares, Calle Jarnkrok, and Auston Matthews all tallied as well. Ilya Samsonov saved 31 of 33 shots in the win.
Despite the lopsided win, the Leafs found themselves trailing, 1-0, after the first period. “I don’t think a lot had to be said (in the intermission) other than pointing out the obvious, but it’s on the players,” coach Sheldon Keefe said. “They did the talking and, more importantly, just came out on the ice way more focused.”
“We decided to battle and compete a little bit more,” Nylander said of the team’s play in the second period. “That’s what took over the game.”
Total Trends
- Under is 3-0-1 in the Rangers’ last 4 Wednesday games
- Under is 10-2-1 in the Rangers’ last 13 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game
- Under is 4-1 in the Rangers’ last 5 overall
- Under is 4-1 in the Rangers’ last 5 games following a win
- Under is 4-0 in the Maple Leafs' last 4 games following a win
- Under is 3-1-1 in the Maple Leafs’ last 5 Wednesday games
- Under is 15-7 in the Maple Leafs’ last 22 vs. a team with a winning record
Team Trends
- The underdog is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings between these clubs
- Rangers are 12-5 in the last 17 meetings in Toronto
- Rangers are 5-1 in the last 6 meetings with the Maple Leafs
- Rangers are 8-3 in their last 11 road games
- Rangers are 15-6 in their last 21 overall
- Rangers are 5-2 in their last 7 after scoring 5 goals or more in their previous game
Pick and Prediction
I previously pointed out the Rangers' stellar 14-5-3 road record but neglected to mention the Maple Leafs' even more impressive 18-3-4 home mark. Yet, I would submit that it is more difficult to assemble an outstanding road record than one at home but the point I am making is that we have two teams that are fairly close in terms of their records but one team is being installed as high as a -165 favorite.
That line seems far too steep on the Maple Leafs considering the caliber of opponent they have skating into the Scotiabank Arena tonight. And when we consider that the Rangers have won 5 of their last 6 games against the Leafs including their only meeting this season, a 3-1 victory just five weeks ago, doesn’t it seem to make sense to grab all of that vig and with the Rangers and run with it?
Lastly, the Rangers have an advantage between the pipes. Igor Shesterkin (21-8-6, 2.44 GAA, .918 save percentage) may not be having the same award-winning campaign he had last season but there are signs he is coming around from being a very good goalie to one that can steal a game as he did many times last year.
Let’s grab the +139 that Heritage Sports is willing to pay us on the road dog here and cash a ticket!
Score Prediction: Rangers 3 - Maples Leafs 2
NHL Pick: Rangers ML (+139) at Heritage Sports
NHL Pick: Under 6 (-119) at BetOnline (visit our BetOnline Review)
*The line and/or odds on picks in this article might have moved since the content was commissioned. For updated line movements, visit BMR’s free betting odds product.
