by Rod Pearson
Friday, Apr 19, 2024
Game Time: 3:00 pm ET, Sunday, April 21, 2024
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Capitals +195, Rangers -238; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Capitals +195, Rangers -238; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Capitals +195, Rangers -238; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Washington Capitals: 40-31-11 (4th place, Metropolitan Division)
New York Rangers: 55-23-4 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)
Do not miss out on our expert handicapper analysis! Brian Bitler is on a HOT STREAK in the NHL on a 9-2 NHL RUN for +$6,950 PROFIT! Make sure you check out his picks and many more from the expert handicappers featured in the Shop Picks section.
Recent Form
Washington Capitals: 4-4-2 last 10
New York Rangers: 7-3-0 last 10
Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers Preview and Analysis
The Capitals are entering this game with 91 points, a 40-31-11 record overall, and they were 18-19-4 in their road games this regular season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Philadelphia Flyers in their last game, winning that one on the road 2-1. T. J. Oshie and Alexander Ovechkin each scored 1 goal for them in that game. T. J. Oshie, Nic Dowd, and Dylan McIlrath each led the team in assists with 1 while John Carlson led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Charlie Lindgren was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 1 goal on 28 shots with 27 saves and a .964 save percentage. Their offense has scored 220 goals this season averaging 2.7 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 257 goals against them allowing 3.1 goals per game.
The Rangers are entering this game with 114 points, a 55-23-4 record overall, and they were 30-11-0 in their home games this regular season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Ottawa Senators in their last game, winning that one at home 4-0. Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafrenière, and Jack Roslovic each scored 1 goal for them in that game. Chris Kreider led the team in assists with 2 while Artemi Panarin led the team in shots on net in that game with 7. Igor Shesterkin was the starting goalie in that game and he recorded the shutout as he allowed 0 goals on 25 shots with 25 saves and a 1.000 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 282 goals this season averaging 3.4 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 229 goals against them allowing 2.8 goals per game.
Capitals vs Rangers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Rangers listed as a big favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 1 of a 7 game series between the 1st seeded Rangers from the Metropolitan Division and the 2nd seeded Wild Card, the Capitals, for Round 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference playoffs. The Rangers have looked great in their games this season with their 55-23-4 record overall which won them the Presidents' Trophy for having the best record in the entire NHL. They have looked great on home ice this year with their 30-11-0 home record and they have stayed hot coming into this one with their 7-3-0 record in their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Capitals have looked good in their games this season with their 40-31-11 record overall, but that record barely had them make the playoffs since they needed to win right up until their very last game of the season to edge out all the other teams in the race. They haven't looked good at all in their road games this season either, going 18-19-4 in their road games this year. The Capitals fought hard to get this final Wild Card spot in the East, but they are still only 4-4-2 in their last 10 games as they stumbled in some games they needed to win over the last week. The Rangers have been one of the best home teams in the NHL all season and the Capitals are not a team that scores many goals either. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rangers to win this game and on the puckline.
Capitals Rangers Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Sunday, April 21, 2024 (3:00 pm ET start time) is Rangers 5 Capitals 1.
Don't miss our champion handicappers free picks and expert hockey picks today. And if you enjoyed this Washington Capitals New York Rangers prediction, be sure to drop by every day for our weekly NHL predictions and previews.
NHL Betting Trends
Washington Capitals: 121-131 (-20.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 25-35 (-15.4 units) on the moneyline off a road win. 54-66 (-18.6 units) on the moneyline off a win or tie in their previous game. 7-2 OVER when playing with 3 or more days rest. 47-26 OVER revenging a same season loss vs opponent. 5-1 OVER after allowing 1 goal or less in 2 straight games.
New York Rangers: 165-105 (+23.8 units) on the moneyline in all games. 9-2 (+6.6 units) on the moneyline off a home win where they shut out their opponent. 46-23 (+14.2 units) on the moneyline after playing a game where 4 or fewer total goals were scored. 11-5 OVER off a home win scoring 4 or more goals. 14-7 OVER after a blowout win by 3 goals or more. 20-12 OVER after a 2 game unbeaten streak.
Key Injuries
Washington Capitals: R. Sandin (D) Out indefinitely - Upper Body. N. Jensen (D) Out indefinitely - Upper Body. E. Bear (D) Out indefinitely - Personal. N. Backstrom (C) out for season - Hip.
New York Rangers: B. Wheeler (RW) out for season - Lower Body. F. Chytil (C) out for season - Upper Body.
Notable Quotes
“He’s been arguably our MVP. He’s been fantastic all year. He earned the opportunity to play this in back to back, and he delivered once again.” - Spencer Carbery on Charlie Lindgren after his team’s win against the Flyers in their last game of the regular season on Tuesday.
“They've been there all year. The team played well. They competed hard. We're a group that feels like when they put their equipment on, they can win ... Now you're heading into why you did all that work, the first round of the playoffs." - Peter Laviolette after his team’s win against the Senators in their last game of the regular season on Monday.
Starting Lineups
Washington Capitals
LW Ovechkin, Alex
C McMichael, Connor
RW Oshie, T.J.
LD Fehérváry, Martin
RD Carlson, John
G Lindgren, Charlie
New York Rangers
LW Panarin, Artemi
C Trocheck, Vincent
RW Lafrenière, Alexis
LD Lindgren, Ryan
RD Fox, Adam
G Shesterkin, Igor
Statistical Leaders
Washington Capitals
Points: D. Strome (67)
Goals: A. Ovechkin (31)
Assists: J. Carlson (42)
GAA: C. Lindgren (2.67)
New York Rangers
Points: A. Panarin (120)
Goals: A. Panarin (49)
Assists: A. Panarin (71)
GAA: I. Shesterkin (2.58)
Coaches:
Washington Capitals: Spencer Carbery (1st season)
New York Rangers: Peter Laviolette (1st season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
