Capitals vs Rangers Game 1 Prediction, Odds & Picks (Apr. 20)

• The New York Rangers and Washington Capitals begin their playoff series on Sunday
• The Round 1 NHL Playoff odds favor the Rangers to prevail at home over the Caps
• Read below for Rangers vs Capitals Game 1 prediction, odds and picks

According to oddsmakers, Rangers vs Capitals will be the most lopsided series of the NHL Playoffs opening round. We’ll find out just how accurate the sportsbooks are beginning Sunday, when Game 1 takes place at Madison Square Garden.

The Rangers, who captured the Presidents’ Trophy as the NHL’s best-regular-season team, are priced as Game 1 favorites over Alex Ovechkin and the No. 8 Washington Capitals. The over/under is offered at 5.5 for a matchup featuring two quality goaltenders.

Let’s get into our Rangers vs Caps Game 1 prediction, as we analyze the odds and provide our picks.

Rangers vs Capitals Game 1 Odds

In the Capitals vs Rangers Game 1 odds, New York is a heavy -250 favorite on the moneyline, giving them implied win probability.

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Odds as of April 21, 2024, at BetMGM Sportsbook. Claim the BetMGM promo code to bet on Game 1 of Rangers vs Caps.

Rangers Betting Trends

The Rangers enter the 2024 NHL PLayoffs following a record-setting regular season that saw the club set team highs in wins (55) and points (114). In their regular-season finale against Ottawa, the Rangers prevailed 4-0 to claim their fourth Presidents’ Trophy.

Leading the Rangers is Hart Trophy odds contender Artemi Panarin. The forward set career highs with 49 goals and 120 points, finishing three points shy of the single-season franchise record set by Jaromir Jagr in 2005-06.

Artemi Panarin made it very clear: It’s Cup or bust in New York 👀

(via @vzmercogliano) pic.twitter.com/uAMNTbsUx8

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 18, 2024

While Panarin has been an excellent fit in New York, he’s out for redemption this spring after managing just two assists in the Rangers’ seven-game series against the New Jersey Devils last season. “Breadman” scored six goals and added 10 assists in the postseason two years ago when the Rangers reached the ECF.

New York should be able to count on the goaltending of netminder Igor Shesterkin, who owns a. 913 save percentage along with a 36-17-2 record. During the 2023 postseason, Shesterkin was outstanding, posting a .936 save percentage and 1.96 GAA.

Capitals Betting Trends

The Washington Capitals enter the NHL postseason with a -37 goal differential, the worst mark by any playoff team in nearly three decades. Washington clinched the final wild card spot by beating the Philadelphia Flyers in their regular-season finale.

The big storyline for the Caps right now is goaltender Charlie Lindgren, who took over starting duties for Dary Kuemper midway through the season, and hasn’t looked back. Lindgren is 25-16-7 in 58 starts this season, posting a 2.67 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.

Dylan Strome led Washington with 67 points (27 goals, 40 assists) while Alex Ovechkin finished with 65 (31 goals, 34 assists), equalling his lowest total in an 82-game season. The Caps are averaging just 2.63 goals per game, which is bottom-five in the entire NHL.

Rangers vs Capitals Game 1 Prediction

This is a lopsided matchup, no matter which way you look at it. Even if we say Lindgren continues his stellar play and goes toe-to-toe with Shesterkin, the Rangers are better than the Caps in nearly every other area. They score more goals, allow fewer goals, and have superior advanced metrics.

The most glaring advantage may be special teams, where the Rangers’ PP and PK units are top-10, while the Caps’ two units are bottom-10. Washington hasn’t scored a power-play goal against New York in six straight meetings.

While the Caps and Ranges split the 2023-24 regular-season series, New York has outshot Washington in six straight affairs. After what happened to New York in the postseason last season, they are going to want to make a statement Sunday that they aren’t just a strong regular-season team.

NYR vs WAS Game 1 Pick:

• Rangers -1.5 (-120)