The top sportsbooks are ready for another exciting season of professional ice hockey, but are fans ready for the NHL? Of course they are! The NHL regular season began last Wednesday, and since then fans have been racing to place bets on their favorite team, as well as dashing to the nearest TVs to catch the results of their predictions. One upcoming contest that will give New York fans – as well as Detroit fans – the opportunity to wager on their favorite team is the upcoming contest between the Red Wings and the Rangers.
The New York Rangers will be hosting the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday, October 19th, at the Madison Square Garden. The Rangers are coming in with a 2-1 record after beating the San Jose Sharks 7-4 this past Monday. New York also beat the New York Islanders in their 2016-17 regular season debut to prove that they are the better New York based ice hockey team. However, the Rangers did fall short to the St. Louis Blues on Saturday, the 15th of October.
On the other hand, the Red Wings will be coming into this contest with a 1-2 record. This past Monday Detroit beat the Ottawa Senators 5-1 to gain their first win of the season. The Red Wings weren’t as impressive in their first two games, losing their opener to the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4, and losing their second game against the Florida Panthers 4-1. The Rangers have the better record, but will that be enough to sway the top sportsbooks in their favor?
Wednesday, October 19th (Early Betting Preview Lines Are Subject to Change!)
Red Wings +1½ (-220) 5½ (+105) +135
Rangers -1½ (+180) 5½ (-125) -155
The top sportsbooks are siding with the Rangers and are giving them a 1 ½ point spread to cover. It may still be a little early to tell if New York is worthy for your bet on NHL’s spread line, but so far this season they haven’t disappointed. In their debut the Rangers beat their opponent by 2 points, and in their most recent outing New York won by three. In their only loss of the season the Rangers lost by a single point.
The Red Wings have had similar scores to their contests. In their first loss of the season the Red Wings tasted defeat by 2 points, while in their second loss they were beaten by three. This past Monday Detroit won by four. So unless the Red Wings are able to surprise the Rangers, New York will likely be both winning and covering the spread.
Both Detroit and New York enjoyed moderate success in the 2015-16 season. Detroit finished with a 41-30-11 record while New York enjoyed a 46-27-9 record. Interestingly enough both of these teams finished their season in a similar fashion; by exiting the playoffs in the first round. Both of these teams will be itching to make the postseason this year, and the best way to do it is by winning on Wednesday.