This betting guide looks at two important matchups within the Metropolitan Division when the best road team in the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins, visit the New York Rangers and the Buffalo Sabres give great value against the Washington Capitals.
New York Rangers (+100) vs Pittsburgh Penguins (-120)
The Penguins have stealthily climbed to fourth in the league, while the Rangers are sitting at sixth. This is shaping up to be a very important and great game, as the battle for second in the division, and even first, is on the line as we draw closer to playoffs.
The Penguins are the best team in the league on the road, while the Rangers are pretty dangerous at home with the seventh-best record. Igor Shesterkin hasn’t been the goaltender we’re used to of late, allowing four or more goals in three of his past five games and icing a 2-3-0 record. He has been pulled in two of those games. He should snap out of it sooner or later you’d think, but for now, I’d ride the hot hand in Pittsburgh who have won five of seven and are looking to bounce back from a shootout loss to the Sabres.
Buffalo Sabres (+165) vs Washington Capitals (-200)
The Capitals have been a good team recently, going 7-0-1 before dropping two in a row. The Sabres have been running through top teams of late, winning five of the past six games, losing to only the Edmonton Oilers on the road. The Sabres have defeated the Vegas Golden Knights, Toronto Maple Leafs, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, and Penguins.
The Sabres are a team that can and will surprise you, and with the value they provide, it’s worth it to continue banking on them until they show you otherwise. Tage Thompson is the player to watch, having scored three goals and an assist in the past three. But the team is getting contributions from throughout the lineupe and they are really playing hard every night for head coach Don Granato. Take the over too if you plan on adding that to your bet slip as Washington has hit the over in eight of their past nine games (O6.5, -105).
Odds via Yahoo and BetMGM.
