Penguins vs Rangers Odds, Pick & Prediction (Mar 16)
By Michael Harrison in NHL Hockey
Published:
- The Rangers are a -140 home favorite in Penguins vs Rangers odds Thursday (March 16th) at 7:00pm ET
- New York is eight points up on their Metro Division rivals in the NHL standings
- Keep reading for the complete Penguins vs Rangers odds, plus best bets – including a same-game parlay
Thursday evening, the Pittsburgh Penguins, who are holding onto the first Wild Card spot in the East, visit the Big Apple for a date with the Rangers. The Pens are eight points back of their division rivals, so they’re likely too far back to realistically challenge for third in the Metro Division. They’re coming off a 6-4 defeat at the hands of the Canadiens Tuesday, while the Rangers won 5-3 over the Capitals.
On the campaign, Pittsburgh is 34-23-10 for 78 points, while the Rangers are 38-19-10 for 86 points.
The Pens have won both meetings this season by counts of 3-2 both times (one in overtime), after the Broadway Blueshirts erased a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate Pittsburgh last postseason. This is the second of three meetings in a four-game stretch on the schedule for both clubs. Read on for Penguins vs Rangers analysis.
Penguins vs Rangers Odds
| Game Time (ET) | Team | Puck Line | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thursday, March 16th | Pittsburgh Penguins | +1.5 (-210) | O 6.5 (-110) | +120 |
| 7:00 pm | New York Rangers | -1.5 (+180) | U 6.5 (-110) | -140 |
The Rangers are the fifth choice in the Stanley Cup odds at +1200, while the Penguins are +3200. New York is the -140 favorite in this contest that features a total of 6.5 goals.
Puck drop is set for 7:00 pm ET at famed Madison Square Garden in New York with ESPN+ broadcasting the game in the States and Rogers Sportsnet showing it in Canada.
Odds as of March 15th at DraftKings Sportsbook.Â
Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Analysis
The Pittsburgh Penguins have been mired in a battle for one of the two Wild Card spots in the Eastern Conference playoffs for a long while. As late as February 24th, they were on the outside looking in. However, Sidney Crosby and company have gone 7-2-1 in their last ten contests to currently hold down the top Wild Card spot. They’re tied for the best record in the NHL in that span, scoring 3.90 goals per contest.
sidney crosby, evgeni malkin & kris letang now have 91 points in the penguins last 31 games.
kris letang has only played in 19 of those.
91 points in 31 games.
— matt (@yinzzzerr) March 15, 2023
The Pens have won both meetings with their Metro Division rivals this season 3-2, and this is the first of a back-to-back at Madison Square Garden. For the campaign, they’re smack dab in the middle of several key categories like goals and goals against and special teams.
Pittsburgh has lost 21 of their last 26 contests as an underdog. New York has defeated four of the last five teams at home who have a losing record on the road (Pens are 15-13-5).
New York Rangers Betting Analysis
The New York Rangers are pretty firmly locked in as the third-place team in the Metro, and something crazy would have to happen for that to change. They hold an eight-point edge on the Pens, and are eight points behind second-place New Jersey. New York won 5-3 versus Washington Tuesday, but they’re a wholly average 5-5-2 in their last twelve outings.
You’re probably wondering what’s going on here.
ESPN and Disney + are showing the Rangers vs. Capitals in real-time #BigCityGreens animation style.
🎥 @NHL pic.twitter.com/sRSXvjqMU0
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 14, 2023
For the season, the Rangers are just 14th in goals/game, but are solid at defending, giving up the ninth fewest goals per outing in the NHL. They’re strong on the PP, ranking eighth, but are 16th on the penalty kill.
New York have won their last five games following a contest in that they scored five or more.
Penguins vs Rangers Recent Results
| Date | Home-Away | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3/12/2023 | PIT 3- NYR 2 (OT) | PIT | NYR | Under |
| 12/20/2022 | PIT 3 – NYR 2 | PIT | NYR | Under |
| 5/15/2022 | NYR 4 – PIT 3 (OT) | NYR | PIT | Over |
| 5/13/2022 | PIT 3 – NYR 5 | NYR | NYR | Over |
| 5/11/2022 | NYR 5 – PIT 3 | NYR | NYR | Over |
These two squads are incredibly evenly matched, having split the last six regular-season meetings, and last year’s playoff encounter seeing New York winning in seven games. Both battles this year went under 6.5 goals, with Pittsburgh winning both 3-2. Before that, however, seven straight duels resulted in seven or more goals being scored.
Penguins vs Rangers Pick & Prediction
Pittsburgh as a +120 underdog is an awfully tempting play, particularly because they’ve gotten the better of the Broadway Blueshirts both times this year. Our model has this Penguins vs Rangers game going the home team’s way, however, 3.61-3.34.
Penguins vs Rangers Same-Game Parlay Picks
| Pick | Odds |
|---|---|
| Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline | +120 |
| Over 6.5 Goals | -110 |
| PARLAY ODDS | Â +295 |
The over has hit in six of the Rangers’ last seven games at MSG. In a fairly circumstantial coincidence, the over is 12-3-1 in the Penguins’ last 16 Thursday games. The over is also 4-1 in the Rangers last five after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. Selecting the hotter club who has also been better head-to-head this season as an underdog is very appealing.
Pick: Pittsburgh Penguins Moneyline (+120), Over 6.5 goals (-110)
Sports & Entertainment Writer
Michael "Hound Dog" Harrison is well known in the sports industry as the resident statistician for the SC with Jay Onrait Show. He has worked at TSN for over 19 years, is the CEO of his "All Bets Par Off" weekly golf betting videos and his HDOG POD, along with several others.
