NHL betting has been tricky with the ongoing pandemic continuing to throw teams into a state of constant upheaval.
The Philadelphia Flyers haven't played in more than 10 days due to health & safety protocols decimating their lineup, but will return to the ice on Thursday night as they host the New York Rangers.
Can the Flyers jump right back into the thick of things with a win against the slumping Rangers? We let you know what we think with our best free Rangers vs Flyers picks and predictions for Thursday, February 18, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. ET.
New York Rangers at Philadelphia Flyers betting preview
Injuries
Rangers: Artemi Panarin LW (Probable), K'Andre Miller D (Questionable), Jacob Trouba D (Out), K'Andre Miller D (Out), Filip Chytil C (Out), Jack Johnson D (Out).
Flyers: Travis Konecny RW (Out), Scott Laughton LW (Out), Oskar Lindblom LW (Out), Jakub Voracek RW (Out), Justin Braun D (Out), Claude Giroux RW (Out), Morgan Frost C (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Rangers are 1-9 in the last 10 meetings between these Eastern Conference foes. Find more NHL betting trends for Rangers vs. Flyers.
NHL sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonWith Philadelphia returning from a COVID pause, this moneyline plummeted early, then stabilized today at PointsBet USA. The Flyers opened -165 Wednesday morning, dipped to -115 by late Wednesday night, and the game is a -110 pick 'em as of 5 p.m. ET. Still, ticket count and money are running about 3/1 on Philly. The total opened 5.5 (Over -130), with that price ticking to -120 a couple of times and now sitting at -125. The Over is landing 62 percent of bets/67 percent of money.
Check out the full line movement for this gameMoneyline pick
It's hard to trust a Flyers team that practiced for the first time in a week on Tuesday and is missing six key players (Claude Giroux, Travis Konecny, Jake Voracek, Scott Laughton, Oskar Lindblom, and Justin Braun) due to COVID-19 protocols.
That said, it might be even harder to trust the Rangers, who have lost four in a row and are currently ranked 27th in the league in scoring with just 2.36 goals per game.
The Blueshirts haven't been much better on the other end of the ice, surrendering the seventh-most high danger chances in the league in 5v5 play.
That could be bad news against Philadelphia, who ranks third in the league with 3.54 goals per game. Although the Flyers will be without a handful of top skaters tonight, they played much of the year without alternate captain Sean Couturier who has been a force on both ends of the ice since returning to action.
Philly certainly has plenty of depth and has dealt with shorthanded lineups before. The Flyers have also owned the head-to-head in recent years, winning nine of the last 10 meetings against the Rangers. We're going with Gritty tonight and backing the Flyers.
PREDICTION: Moneyline Philadelphia (-115)
Over/Under pick
We mentioned the Rangers scoring woes but New York should get a big boost on offense with the return of leading scorer Artemi Panarin. The Rangers will take a step back on defense however with veteran blueliner Jacob Trouba ruled out for a month due to a broken thumb.
It's also worth noting that prior to this recent losing streak, the Blueshirts had averaged a more respectable 2.9 gpg. They're also seventh in the league in high-danger chances per 60 minutes, so they are generating offensive opportunities which bodes well for them against a Flyers team surrendering the second-most shots in the NHL.
The Flyers have been one of the most impressive teams in the NHL when it comes to putting the puck in the net, converting on a league-high 13.6 percent of their shots. That said, No. 1 netminder Carter Hart has taken a step back after a sensational year in 2020, and has a 3.49 GAA this season.
With the Flyers 9-4 to the Over this season, back it again on Thursday night.
PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (-120)
Rangers vs Flyers betting card
- Moneyline Philadelphia (-115)
- Over 5.5 (-120)
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