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It’s always quite amusing to watch the betting market ahead of New York Ranger games. The line movement usually follows a similar pattern: Once Igor Shesterkin is confirmed to be the starting goaltender, money flows in on the Blueshirts and the under. If Gerard Gallant taps Alexandar Georgiev to man the blue paint, steam comes in against the Rangers and on the over.
With the Rangers playing on the second night of a back-to-back and the team looking to keep Shesterkin fresh for the playoffs, we should see Georgiev on Wednesday night against the Detroit Red Wings.
At the time of writing the Red Wings are listed as +155 home underdogs and the Over/Under is sitting at 6.5, but it’s a pretty safe bet that these numbers will move if/when Georgiev is confirmed as the starter.
Rangers vs. Red Wings odds updated
Odds provided by BetMGM
Spread: Rangers -1.5 vs. Red Wings +1.5
Moneyline: Rangers -150 vs. Red Wings +125
Total: Over 6.5 +100 | Under 6.5 -120
Rangers vs. Red Wings prediction
Even with Georgiev in net and the team traveling on a back-to-back, the Rangers are deserving of their status as a decent road favorite. Not only are the Blueshirts winners of five of their last six and seven of their last nine, but they’re also going up against a team that has lost their past three games by a combined score of 18-3.
Igor Shesterkin #31 of the New York Rangers protects the net against the Pittsburgh Penguins NHLI via Getty ImagesDetroit’s defensive form isn’t just a blip either. Over their last 26 games, the Wings have gone 8-15-3 and have allowed a whopping 123 goals. That rates out to 4.7 goals allowed per game in that span.
With Detroit’s defense and goaltending in shambles, Georgiev likely won’t need to be lights out to give the Rangers a chance to win at Little Caesar’s Arena. However, his presence behind a defense that struggles to suppress scoring chances at 5-on-5 also offers the Wings a path to success.
At the moment, there is no team in worse defensive form than the Red Wings, but the truth is that Shesterkin’s heroics have been a godsend behind a Rangers defense that ranks in the bottom-10 in expected goals against and high-danger scoring chances allowed at 5-on-5. A matchup between these two defenses with Georgiev and a struggling Alex Nedeljkovic as the projected goaltending matchup is an over bettor’s dream — even if this total ticks up to 7.
Rangers vs. Red Wings pick: Over 6.5 +100 (BetMGM)
