Rangers vs Hurricanes Odds, Picks, and Predictions Tonight: Defenses Hold Serve in Raleigh

The New York Rangers and the Carolina Hurricanes will meet for the second time in three nights at PNC Arena this Thursday. 

The Rangers didn’t have the performance they were hoping for at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, as the Carolina Hurricanes were the much better team for sixty minutes. The Canes won by the score of 3-2, and this was the exact kind of style that they wanted to play, limiting the Rangers' offensive zone time and rushes. 

Igor Shesterkin and Frederik Andersen both had strong games in the blue paint, and they should be going at it once again. 

Find out my best bet in our free NHL picks and predictions for Rangers vs. Hurricanes on March 23. 

Rangers vs Hurricanes best odds

Rangers vs Hurricanes picks and predictions

The Carolina Hurricanes were able to finally break the New York Rangers' shutout streak which lasted longer than two games, but scoring three goals didn’t come very easily on Tuesday night. It took the Canes until the third period to find a way to beat Igor Shesterkin. 

Shesterkin has been at the top of his game, skating to a 3-1-0 record in his last four starts with a 2.01 GAA and a .941 SV% while also adding one shutout. The Rangers have been a strong defensive team all year, but they are that much scarier when Shesterkin is at his best.

As a team, New York is the sixth-best defensive unit in the NHL, allowing just 2.70 goals per game. After losing defensive stalwart Ryan Lindgren for 11 games, he finally returned on Tuesday night and made an immediate impact for the Blueshirts, though it's clear he's still not at 100%.

The Hurricanes' goaltending situation has been interesting this season due to injury, but Frederik Andersen has owned the net as of late, going 3-0-0 in his last three starts. However, his numbers haven’t necessarily been as good as Shesterkin’s. Andersen has a 3.02 GAA and a .898 SV% in that span, but on home ice this season he is 10-5-0 with a .906 SV% along with a 2.33 GAA. 

As a team, the Canes are the second-stingiest in the league, giving up just 2.57 goals per game. Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin are two of the most intimidating presences on the blueline league-wide, and former Ranger Brady Skjei has developed into a fine all-around talent this year.

This should be another strong defensive battle between two very good teams. 

My best bet: Under 6 (-120 at BetMGM)

Rangers vs Hurricanes moneyline analysis

The Hurricanes opened as consensus favorites of -146, and their price has moved only a few cents in either direction as of this writing.

The Rangers were looking like the most dangerous team in the NHL prior to the meeting with the Canes on Tuesday night, but the way that this Carolina team plays, I don’t think anyone in the NHL competes harder than them.

Home ice has been very kind to the Canes, skating to a 24-8-2 record at PNC Arena. But the last time the Rangers were in town, they almost ran the home team out of the building, winning by the score of 6-2. 

With all that being said, the home team happens to be 7-3 in the last 10 meetings between the two teams, and Carolina is doing everything they can to make some separation between themselves and the New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division standings. 

This is a hard side to pick since the games are usually very close when these teams collide, but with the way this matchup seems to trend, I’d have to lean towards the home team. 

Rangers vs Hurricanes Over/Under analysis

The total opened at 6, but some 5.5s are beginning to appear as of Thursday morning. If you like the Under, now looks like the time to pounce.

Both teams have had some relatively low-scoring games as of late, especially the Rangers, where the Under has hit in five out of their last six overall. The Under has also hit in six out of the last eight Hurricanes home games. 

There is certainly a trend for both teams, and that is no coincidence with the goaltending and overall team defense. The points mean a lot right now for standings purposes, and since they’re playing a home-and-home, both teams will be very familiar with one another, and they will be able to make the proper defensive adjustments.

Frederik Andersen and Igor Shesterkin are at their best right now, so I expect a goalie showdown tonight.

Rangers vs Hurricanes betting trend to know

The Under is 6-1-1 in the Hurricanes' last eight home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Rangers vs Hurricanes.

Rangers vs Hurricanes game info

Rangers vs Hurricanes key injuries

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