With time running out for the NHL regular season, the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers will host wild-card hopefuls the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night.
The Flyers are in a difficult situation. While they are only two points from the second wild card in the Eastern Conference, they have played one more game than the three teams in front of them.
Tampa Bay earned the first wild card in the East, leaving Washington (85 points), Pittsburgh (84) and Detroit (84) to compete with Philadelphia for the final spot. However, the Flyers only have three games left in the regular season, compared to four for the other three.
Philadelphia can only hope that its regular season matchup with the Capitals will still have meaning when the teams drop the puck next Tuesday.
Getting points against the Rangers on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden would be a good start.
Rangers vs. Flyers odds
| Team | Puck line | Money line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leaflets | +1.5 (+145) | +170 | o6 (-120) |
| Rangers | -1.5 (+120) | -210 | u6 (+100) |
Rangers vs Flyers Prediction
Meanwhile, the Rangers have been consistent playoff contenders for years, but haven’t gone the distance to win the Stanley Cup. They currently sit as the No. 1 seed in the East, three points ahead of Carolina and Baston.
Artemi Panarin is having a career season with 46 goals. In fact, he averages a goal in over 58 percent of the Rangers’ 79 games played.
However, he has remained strangely silent against the Flyers this season. In three confrontations, Panarin recorded three assists but no goals.
But since March 30, Panarin has scored a goal in every second match like clockwork (three goals in six matches).
With a win, the Flyers could potentially find themselves tied with the Capitals for the second wild card spot. Washington plays at Buffalo on Thursday night.
While I like the Rangers more as a team, there might be some complacency with their playoff spot already assured.
Additionally, their recent slow start should give punters pause.
Flyers vs. Rangers picks
If you exclude picking a moneyline based on uncertainty, I think we can still find some value in the player prop market.
I think Panarin has a chance to finally cash in against the Flyers, and his recent streak of scoring every other game puts him in line to score again on Thursday night (he was held scoreless against the Islanders on Tuesday).
With a three-game drought against the Flyers, Panarin should see a positive regression on Thursday night, and he, as an anytime scorer, is a decent bet.
Pick: Artemi Panarin, anytime scorer (+135, FanDuel)
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