The Capitals vs Rangers game tonight is sure to have more eyes on it than a typical NHL game. At this point, it is hard to not have heard what happened in the Capitals vs Rangers game on Monday.
Capitals (33-14-5) vs Rangers (26-21-6) Betting Odds, Stream and Time
Start Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Coverage: NBCSN
Moneyline: WAS: -135 | NYR: +115 Spread: WAS: -1.5 (+175) | NYR: +1.5 (-210) Total: 6 – Over: (-115) | Under: (-105)
Tensions Running EXTREMELY High in New York Tonight
Of course, I am referring to none other than Tom Wilson and his controversial fight with Artemi Panarin, which resulted in injuries bad enough to cause Panarin to miss the remainder of the NHL season.
Wilson on the other hand faced a punishment in the form of a $5,000 fine, which was the maximum allowed for the incident under the NHLPA regulation, and will be back on the ice tonight.
The fact that a repeat offender like Wilson escaped this incident with seemingly no punishment has Rangers fans up in arms. The Rangers organization even went as far as to release a public statement saying they believe the NHL’s head of player safety, George Parros, is unfit for the position and should be removed by the NHL.
The referees better prepare themselves, as there is no doubt that this Capitals vs Rangers game could unravel quickly. We are expecting mayhem, lots of scoring, and certainly more fighting.
Capitals vs Rangers Game Preview
This Capitals vs Rangers game has so many story lines to consider, but I think it is pretty easy to read from a betting standpoint.
At the end of the day, these are two teams destined for different season endings. The Capitals will have a very nice seed in the Eastern Conference NHL Playoffs, while the Rangers season will wrap up with two final contests in Boston this Thursday and Saturday.
The Rangers have nothing to lose at this point, and revenge will certainly be the number one thing on their minds. However, I don’t think this is a situation where they will exact said revenge on the scoreboard. It is more likely the Rangers will be chippy throughout the game, starting fights, running the goalie, and other things of that nature.
They will be much too distracted with all of those things and by the fact Tom Wilson is still on the ice to be able to play a solid 60 minutes.
Ultimately, I think the Capitals use this situation to their advantage and tack another W in the column.
Capitals vs Rangers Prediction and Picks
With all this being said about the Rangers, the one thing we know about them is that they can score at a high rate, the 10th highest in the NHL in fact.
The Capitals have no problem putting the puck in net themselves, as they are owners of a 3.42 goals per game average, good enough for second in the entire league.
Take two offensive juggernauts, toss in a ton of intensity and commotion, and what do you get? The perfect recipe for taking the over.
Don’t expect the Capitals to run away with this game, but you can expect them to control, and ultimately win it. Take advantage of the favorable -135 ML for the Capitals tonight, and you can even consider a parlay with the ML and over.
Capitals vs Rangers Picks
Capitals ML (-135) / Game Total o6 (-115) / Parlay: ML & Over (+225)
