The New York Rangers will continue their near-impossible playoff push as they host the Philadelphia Flyers for the second straight night after dropping a 3-2 decision less than 24 hours ago.
The Rangers came into this two-game series as one of the hottest teams in April (7-2-2) but despite the great form, still trail the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division by eight points with nine games remaining.
Here are our free picks and predictions for Philadelphia Flyers vs New York Rangers for Friday, April 23 (7:00 p.m. ET).
Flyers vs Rangers odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NHL sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonFanDuel oddsmakers pegged New York a -168 favorite Thursday evening, peaked at -172, bottomed out at -158 and have the moneyline at -162 at 4:30 p.m. ET. The Rangers are attracting 81 percent of tickets and 89 percent of money. The total opened at 6.5 (Under -122) and saw a price shift to Over -114, though the Under is taking 66 percent of tickets/52 percent of cash.
Check out the full line movement for this gameFlyers at Rangers betting preview
Injuries
Flyers: Carter Hart G (out), Isaac Ratcliffe F (out).
Rangers: Jacob Trouba D (out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Flyers are 0-4 SU in their last four games following a win. Find more NHL betting trends for Flyers vs. Rangers.
Moneyline pick
The season is pretty much done for both teams, as the Rangers will need a miracle to reach the postseason. Money Puck has them at a 2.0 percent chance to make the division’s top four after last night’s defeat.
The Rangers' loss may be a good thing for New York backers tonight, as Philadelphia has struggled to put wins together all year while New York hasn’t dropped back-to-back games on home ice since mid-February.
Last night, New York closed at -175 while tonight’s moneyline can be had at -157 in a goalie matchup that favors the Rangers considerably.
The biggest angle in this matchup is with Philly and their goalie situation. With Carter Hart out and Brian Elliot playing yesterday, the Flyers are turning to Alex Lyon to stop the confident Rangers. Lyon has had one forgettable start this year, where he allowed five goals to the Capitals. The undrafted netminder has had plenty of opportunities in Philadelphia but has fallen flat with a 3.20 GAA and a .896 SV percentage over his three-year career.
Lyon will have to face a New York power play that is scoring on 30 percent of its attempts over the last 30 days. That matches up well for New York, as the Flyers have been more than generous on the penalty kill, allowing goals at the league’s second-worst rate over that same stretch (72%). The Rangers PP went 0-for-3 last night and we like them to bounce back Friday.
If the Blue Shirts can’t get it done on the PP, they have no problem getting it done at even strength. Only four other teams have scored more 5-on-5 goals since March 20. This offense is rolling and is currently one of the best at 3.88 goals per game over the last month.
The Rangers will likely go with goalie Alex Georgiev after Igor Shesterkin started Thursday’s match. Georgiev is the clear-cut No. 2 in New York and is 7-7 SU on the year, but is a league-average goalie. The Rangers' backup has been stellar, however, against the Flyers this season, and is 2-0 SU with a 0.96 GAA and shutout.
Even Philadelphia coach Alain Vigneault has admitted defeat and told reporters that these final few games will be an evaluation tool with his team basically eliminated. If AV has lost faith in his team, so have we, and have no problem jumping on the Rangers in a goalie matchup that should favor the home side.
With the juice on the moneyline, we’re taking the Rangers in regulation as all 10 of their last victories have come after 60 minutes.
PREDICTION: New York 3-way ML (-110)
Over/Under pick
Playing the Over with the Flyers is never a bad option in our opinion. They’re 29-16 O/U on the season and with Lyon and Georgiev in net, we could be in for some back-and-forth hockey on Friday.
Georgiev hasn’t seen much action of late and has just three starts since March 19. In those three turns, he’s posted a save percentage above .900 just once. Shesterkin has been a big reason for the Rags’ success and their 19-25 O/U record, but with the No. 1 riding shotgun, it’s all systems go for the Over with one of the league’s hottest offenses.
The Rangers’ offense can be tough to contain with Artemi Panarin (11 points in his last six games) and Mika Zibanejad (eight points in his last 10 games) on separate lines but gelling on the PP together.
The Flyers’ playoff chances sit at 0.2 percent per Money Puck. The league’s 30th-ranked penalty kill has not done Philadelphia any favors this year and with New York drawing the second-highest amount of penalties, the Flyers might not be serving the full two minutes on their minors Friday night.
Last night’s game saw the Flyers’ PP doing the damage with a 2-for-5 showing and gives us confidence that both sides could contribute Friday with the man advantage. Thursday’s match also saw each team hit the 35-shot total while 6.06 expected goals were totaled. The season series has seen an average of 7.00 combined goals per game. With a handful of blowouts when these two teams meet and Friday’s projected goalies, we can’t reach for our wallets fast enough for this Over.
PREDICTION: Over 6 (-110)
Flyers vs Rangers betting card
- New York 3-way ML (-110)
- Over 6 (-110)
Picks made on 4/23/2021 at 5:15 a.m. ET
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