Rangers vs Penguins Predictions, Odds & Player Props (Saturday, Mar. 16)
- The New York Rangers battle the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon
- The NHL odds price the Rangers as road favorites over the Pens
- Read below for Rangers vs Penguins predictions, odds and player props
The New York Rangers will aim to rebound from a tough loss with a matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday afternoon. The two Eastern Conference foes will battle at PPG Paints Arena on March 16th, with puck drop set for 3:30 pm EST.
The Saturday NHL odds favor the Blueshirts on the road, pricing Peter Laviolette’s club as over Sidney Crosby and the Pens. Player props are also expected to be available, with Artemi Panarin forecasted to deliver another strong performance.
Let’s get into our Rangers vs Penguins prediction as we analyze the odds and player props to target.
New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Odds
| Team | Spread | Moneyline | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| NY Rangers | -1.5 (-205) | -142 | Over 6 (+100) |
| PIT Penguins | +1.5 (+170) | +120 | Under 6 (-120) |
New York is a -142 moneyline favorite over Pittsburgh in the Saturday NHL odds. Based on the betting odds, the Rangers’ implied win probability is 59%.
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Odds as of March 16, 2024, at DraftKings Sportsbook. Claim the DraftKings Sportsbook promo to bet on Rangers vs Penguins. With NC Sports betting now live, bettors in the Tar Heel State can register at DraftKings North Carolina.
Rangers Seeking Bounce-Back
The New York Rangers are looking to get back into the win column following a surprising 6-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov combined for 11 points to torch Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers’ defense.
Prior to the loss at Amalie Arena, the Rangers had strung together three consecutive victories. Shesterkin has bolstered his Vezina odds recently, pitching a shutout in two of his past three starts. The Russian netminder, who sports a .912 save percentage, is Saturday’s projected starting NHL goalie.
It was just a matter of time before Igor Shesterkin started to turn around his game, and it's been beautiful to watch. #NYR
Since February 1st:
12GP
9-2-1
.942SV% (1st)
+14.98 GSAx (1st) pic.twitter.com/U3QJ1fPEq8— Nathan "Grav" Murdock (@NathanGraviteh) March 15, 2024
The Rangers’ offense is led by Artemi Panarin, who has scored 36 goals and dished out 52 assists in 66 games. Vincent Trochek, Alexis Lafreneier, and Mika Zibanejad have also scored 20 goals this season, while Adam Fox (11G, 42A) provides offense from the blueline.
The Rangers have been an excellent defensive team this season, allowing just 29.39 shots per game against and 2.67 GAA. Part of this success can be attributed to their penalty kill, which is operating at an 83.4% clip, good for 5th in the league.
In terms of injuries, Filip Chytil and Blake Wheeler are both out for the season, while Jacob Trouba has an upper-body injury and is not likely to return until the latter part of March. Rookie defenseman Matt Rempe, meanwhile, is serving a four-game suspension for elbowing and will be eligible to return Tuesday against the Jets.
Penguins in Desperation Mode
The Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to keep their playoff dreams alive as they host the New York Rangers on Saturday Afternoon Hockey. The NHL Playoff Bracket shows that Sidney Crosby’s team is five points back of the New York Islanders for the final Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Penguins are coming off a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks in which Pierre-Olivier Joseph, John Ludvig and Drew O’Connor all had multi-point efforts. Prior to the victory, the Penguins were on a four-game losing streak. They have just two wins in their past nine games.
Pittsburgh has been a decent defensive team this season, allowing 2.88 goals per contest. They have struggled to find the back of the net, however, averaging just 2.85 goals per game (25th). Sidney Crosby (32G, 33A) is the only Penguin with more than 50 points on the season.
Saturday’s projected starting NHL goalie is Tristan Jarry. This season, Jarry is 19-21-5 with a .909 save percentage and 2.70 GAA. He is quite familiar with the Rangers, having started 17 games against them in his career. In those contests, he is 8-8-0 with a .905 save percentage.
New York vs Pittsburgh Player Props
NHL player props for Rangers vs Penguins are now available at online sportsbooks. Here are our top picks for Saturday’s action:
Artemi Panarin Over 1.5 Points
Panarin has been on a tear lately, racking up multi-point games with his elite playmaking ability. The creative winger should have plenty of opportunities to set up his linemates against a Penguins defense that has struggled at times this season. Panarin’s point prop of over 1.5 points is an enticing bet given his recent form.
Chris Kreider to Score a Goal
Kreider leads the Rangers with 38 goals this season and has a great chance to light the lamp on Saturday. The power forward scored in both previous meetings with Pittsburgh, showcasing his ability to get to the dirty areas and finish around the net. Kreider is always a threat to score with his unique combination of size, speed and soft hands.
Kris Letang Over 0.5 Points
The veteran Penguins defenseman continues to quarterback the power play and chip in offensively at age 35. Letang has eight points in his last 10 games and should see plenty of ice time in a rivalry game against the Rangers. With his vision and puck-moving skills, Letang has a great shot to notch at least one point. Take the over 0.5 points prop on the productive blueliner.
Rangers vs Penguins Prediction
The Rangers have had their way with the Penguins lately, winning the past three meetings. However, the first meeting this season was just a 1-0 victory for New York at home, with the Rangers outshooting the Pens by a slim 36-32 margin.
There’s no doubt New York is the better team here, but over the past month, the Pens have been the superior team at even strength per the advanced metrics (50.30 CF% vs. 45.59 CF%). Here are some betting trends to keep in mind before making your Rangers vs Pens prediction:
- The total has gone UNDER in five straight meetings between the Pens and Rangers.
- The total has gone UNDER in 8 of NY Rangers’ last 11 games.
- Rangers are 14-3 in their last 17 when their opponent scores 5 goals or more in their previous game.
We’re betting on another low-scoring game in this rivalry, especially with Shesterkin poised for a bounce-back performance. He’s 7-4-1 against the Pens in his career with a .919 save percentage, and we aren’t confident this struggling Pittsburgh offense will break through on Saturday.
NYR vs PIT Pick:
- Under 6 Goals (-120 at DraftKings)
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Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
