The Washington Capitals (40-31-11) and the New York Rangers (55-23-4) meet in Game 1 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference, 1st-round series Sunday. Puck drop from Madison Square Garden is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET (ESPN). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Capitals vs. Rangers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Capitals ended their season on a 3-Game winning streak after taking down Philadelphia 2-1 Tuesday and covering as +120 road underdogs. RW T.J. Oshie had a goal and an assist while LF Alex Ovechkin also found the back of the net in the win.
The Rangers finished their season with back-to-back wins after taking down the Senators 4-0 Monday and covering as -205 home favorites. LW Artemi Panarin and D Adam Fox each had a goal and an assist in the win while 4 separate NY players had a goal.
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Capitals at Rangers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 3:32 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Capitals +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Rangers -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Capitals +1.5 (-145) | Rangers -1.5 (+120)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
Capitals at Rangers projected goalies
Charlie Lindgren (25-16-7, 2.67 GAA, .911 SV%, 6 SO) vs. Igor Shesterkin (36-17-2, 2.58 GAA, .913 SV%, 4 SO)
Lindgren has been middle of the pack in the NHL this season. His record is tied for 13th best, his GAA ranks 16th, and his SV% is tied for 13th best. Where he stands out most, his 6 shutouts are tied for best in the league. The Capitals are 3-0 in Lindgren’s last 3 starts.
Shesterkin has been one of the premier goalies in the NHL this season. His record is tied for 3rd best, while his GAA, SV%, and SO are top 11 in the league. The Rangers are 4-1 in his last 5 starts, including a shutout victory in their last game.
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Capitals at Rangers picks and predictions
Prediction
Rangers 3, Capitals 2
Moneyline
PASS.
There is no value on the Rangers (-250), who are 30-11 at home against a Capitals team that is 18-19-4 on the road this season.
Puck line/Against the spread
LEAN CAPITALS +1.5 (-145).
While New York is the better team and is expected to win, Washington has won 4 of its last 5 and has done a great job limiting opponents’ scoring. It has held opponents to 2 goals or fewer in 4 of its last 5. The Rangers have scored 3 goals or fewer in 3 of their last 4 Games and have won by more than 1 goal in 2 of their last 5 wins.
Over/Under
BET UNDER 5.5 (-120).
This Game features 2 of the top goalies in the NHL. They have a combined 10 shutouts and have given up minimal goals in each of their most recent starts.
Washington has failed to hit the Over in 9 of its last 10 games and has scored 2 goals or fewer in 9 of its last 10, while allowing 2 or fewer goals in 4 of its last 5. New York has hit the Under in 3 games in a row, while allowing 3 or fewer goals in 5 of its last 7 games.
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