The Rangers have recently been showing a solid performance. The team has overcome a tough period when they were struggling on the ice. Currently, they sit in 11th place in the Eastern Conference with 62 points, just four points behind the playoff zone. A successful winning streak could help them break into the top eight. Notably, in three of their last five games, the Rangers secured victories.
The team triumphed over Columbus (4-3), lost to Buffalo (2-8), defeated Pittsburgh (5-3) on the road, and confidently overcame the Islanders with a 5-1 scoreline. However, in their last match against Toronto, New York lost 2-3, scoring only two goals despite creating several excellent opportunities and firing 35 shots on goal. Unfortunately, luck was not on their side that day.
The most potent period for the Rangers is the third, during which they have a 60:51 goal difference. However, their home performance hasn’t been as strong as their away games, with only 12 wins in regulation time. On the positive side, the team continues to excel in penalty killing, boasting an 87.7% success rate in neutralizing opponents’ power plays.
Injuries and Suspensions
Kreider, Edström, and Fox will be absent for the upcoming game.
Interesting Betting Trends
Nashville was expected to be one of the leaders of the Western Conference this season, but they have remained outside the playoff zone for the entire duration. The team sits in 14th place in the standings and has been stuck at a standstill. With a 16-point gap from the playoff spots, their chances of making the top eight are essentially gone, and there has been little progress in their results.
The Predators continue to lose frequently and have failed to string together any significant winning streaks. In fact, in three of their last four matches, they were defeated. At home, they were soundly beaten by New Jersey (0-5), followed by a loss to Florida (1-4). However, they managed to upset Winnipeg (2-1) with home support, only to lose to the Islanders 4-7 in their most recent away game. In that match, Nashville had a disastrous first period, conceding three unanswered goals.
The team’s away form is much worse than their home performance, with only six wins in regulation time. The second period, in particular, has been problematic, as the team struggles when playing on the road and has a negative goal difference of 49:72 during that period.
Injuries and Suspensions
Yossi, Louson, Yankowski, Vilsby, and L’Öre will miss the upcoming game due to injuries.
Interesting Betting Trends
Nashville has often struggled with creating and converting scoring chances in recent games, which has led to them scoring fewer than three goals. The Predators typically manage only one or two goals in their away games. The Rangers, in matches against such opponents, rarely concede many goals and skillfully neutralize threats in their defensive zone. In fact, even in their previous encounter, they didn’t allow the Predators to score more than twice.
Bookmakers are offering odds of 1.95 on the Rangers, 4.55 on a draw, and 3.15 on Nashville. Total over 5.5 goals is offered for 1.75, total under for 2.10.
In our opinion, the Rangers currently have everything they need to defeat Nashville. The Predators have already lost their motivation and have shown poor results recently, often losing to opponents even below their level. The Rangers, on the other hand, have really turned things around lately and are displaying the kind of performance their fans had been hoping for. Additionally, the Predators have been very weak on the road, often losing by a significant margin, so it makes sense to bet on a clean win for the favorite.
Prediction: Rangers win at 1.95
