While it will be tough for the New York Rangers to keep winning at home at their current rate, they are catching a sagging Chicago Blackhawks team on Wednesday.
The Rangers are -150 home-ice betting favorites at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com with the Blackhawks coming back at +120 in a matchup that takes place on Wednesday night. The total is 5.5. The Rangers, according to the OddsShark NHL Database, are 12-3 in their last 15 games as a home favorite. In contrast, the Blackhawks are 2-6 in their last eight road games as the underdog and have also lost four of their last five games.
Chicago is 18-14-6 overall this season, including an 8-9-4 mark away from home, but the Blackhawks have scored only seven goals in their last five games. Star forward Patrick Kane is scoring at a point-per-game pace. However, other key attackers such as as Jonathan Toews (one goal in six games) and Brandon Saad (one in seven) are struggling, and the Rangers’ defense is in the top 10 of the 31-team NHL.
Bettors probably shouldn’t put great stock in Chicago being 5-1 in its last six games after a two-day break, since their previous game on Sunday was two time zones away in Calgary.
The Blackhawks are just 2-10 in their last 12 road games against teams with a point percentage above .600 (The Rangers’ is .603). Neither of their available goalies, Jeff Glass and Anton Forsberg, has ever started a game against the Rangers.
New York is 21-13-5 overall, including a 15-6-3 record at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers, in hockey parlance, have been playing “hit the logo” lately, having scored only eight goals in their last four games despite averaging 37.5 shots in those games.
The total has gone over in five of the Rangers’ last seven home games against Western Conference teams, and a road-weary opponent without its top goalie seems conducive for team scoring leaders such as Pavel Buchnevich (six games without a goal) and Mats Zuccarello (five) to break out.
Two of the Rangers’ other scoring threats, Michael Grabner and J.T. Miller, scored goals during New York’s most recent outing, a 3-2 overtime win outdoors in the Winter Classic against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday.
Should the Rangers give the starting nod to veteran goalie Henrik Lundqvist, know that he is 6-3-2 with a 2.40 goals-against average and .921 save percentage lifetime against Chicago.
The total has gone over in the Blackhawks’ last three road games. The total has gone over in seven of the Rangers’ last 10 home games against Central Division teams.