Rangers vs Panthers Picks and Predictions: New York a Better Value

The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers will restart their seasons Wednesday at FLA Live Arena. Both teams struggled heading into the Christmas break but with each club surprisingly getting healthier, could Wednesday’s battle be one of the more competitive matchups on a heavy NHL slate?

Can Igor Shesterkin return to his pre-injury form for the Rags? Can the Panthers get over the likely loss of leading scorer Justin Huberdeau? Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Rangers vs. Panthers on Tuesday, December 28.

Rangers vs Panthers odds

Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.

The Panthers opened at -160 on the ML with the total sitting at 6 and leaning to the Under. The Rangers won as +105 home favorites back on November 8.

Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.

Rangers vs Panthers predictions

• Prediction: Rangers ML (+140)
• Prediction: Over 6 (-105)
• Best bet: Pick Rangers ML (+140)

Predictions made on 12/28/2021 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.

Rangers vs Panthers game info

• Location: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, FL
• Date: Wednesday, December 29, 2021
• Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: Bally Sports Florida, MSG2

Rangers vs Panthers betting preview

Injuries

Rangers: Alex Georgiev G (Out), Igor Shesterkin G (Probable), Artemi Panarin F (Probable), Jarred Tinordi D (Out), Ryan Lindgren D (Out).

Panthers: Jonathan Huberdeau F (Out), Alex Barkov F (Questionable), Owen Tippett F (Out),  Eetu Luostarinen F (Out), MacKenzie Weegar D (Out).

Find our latest NHL injury reports.

Rangers vs Panthers head-to-head record (since 2018)

Rangers: 4-3 SU, 29 goals for.
Panthers: 3-4 SU, 25 goals for 

Betting trend to know

The Underdog is 10-2 SU in the last 12 meetings. Find more NHL betting trends for Rangers vs. Panthers.

Rangers vs Panthers picks and predictions

Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.

Moneyline/Puck line analysis

Betting on the NHL these days, and sports in general, is knowing who is in and who is out. The visitors will get a massive boost as No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin is set to return after missing most of December with an injury. The Bread Man, Artemi Panarin, is also scheduled to return, which should help an offense that relies heavily on him at 5-on-5 and on the power play. 

In contrast, Florida will be without its leading scorer in Jonathan Huberdeau, who was put on the COVID list on Sunday. He will join heavy-minute defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and bottom-six forwards Owen Tippet and Eetu Luostarinen on the list. The Panthers will likely have the services of Aaron Ekblad, Ryan Lomberg, Carter Verhaeghe, Radko Gudas, Brandon Montour, Sam Bennett, and Frank Vatrano all of who came off the COVID list and practiced on Sunday. Forward Aleksander Barkov is also probable to suit up after missing 12 of the last 13 games.

To summarize the rosters, the most notable player out will be Huberdeau while both clubs will actually be healthier than they were before the Christmas break.

Getting back to hockey, the biggest news in this game is Shesterkin getting back in the lineup. The Rangers’ goalie was playing better than any other netminder in the league before missing time. The Rangers were 4-4 SU in his absence but getting back a goalie with a 13-3-2 record, a 2.05 GAA and a league-leading .937 save percentage is huge for the Rangers. In their earlier meeting in November, Shesterkin posted a 42-save victory at home as +105 home underdogs.

Also looking to find his early-season form will be Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. He was in the early Vezina conversation but is 2-2 SU in his last five games with a 3.32 GAA and .872 SV%. These recent trends are concerning for the Panthers’ goalie as he has posted a GAA above 2.70 in his first two seasons in Florida.

The Panthers outplayed the Rangers in the last meeting, outshooting New York 45-18, but Florida will have half a dozen players returning from COVID (see: conditioning) as well as another handful of inactives, including first-line winger Huberdeau, who has 10 points in his last seven games.

With the league just starting up and uncertainties seemingly around every corner, we have no problem taking a +140 dog who has the better goalie, is Top 5 in goals against, has a Top-6 power play, a Top-6 penalty kill, and will be less affected by injuries and COVID.  

Prediction: Rangers ML (+140)

Over/Under analysis

This total opened at 6, and is leaning slightly to the Under. In the November 8 matchup, the total closed at 5.5 at -125 to the Over. That game saw seven total goals and 6.5 xgoals in a game where Shesterkin and Spencer Knight were in goal.

Also in that meeting, the Rangers netted two power-play goals, something Gerard Gallant’s team has been doing with success all season. New York has the league’s No. 6 power play, which has been even better in December and is scoring at the league’s second-highest rate (37%). The Rangers have scored a PP goal in eight of their last 10 games and getting Panarin back is huge as the Russian magician leads the team with 11 power-play assists.

The Panthers’ penalty kill has been league-average this season but will be without a pair of important pieces. Weegar leads the team in short-handed time on ice while Huberdeau ranks second among forwards. Penalties could be a common thing Wednesday as both clubs rank inside the Top 10 in penalties taken/60 and penalties drawn/60.

While the Rangers can find the scoresheet with the man advantage, the Panthers have had plenty of success scoring at even strength. Only three teams have scored more 5-on-5 goals than Florida while the Panthers sit second, behind only the Maple Leafs, in expected goals at even strength. 

It’s not often we fade Shesterkin, but it’s better to do it after three weeks on the shelf, while Bobrovsky has allowed three or more goals in seven of his last nine starts.

Prediction: Over 6 (-105

Best bet

As is with all our other post-Christmas picks, we’re trying to find some value on the dogs, and with Shesterkin and Panarin back, the Rangers are live dogs against a Florida team that lost three straight games before the break and managed just six goals.

The Rangers have the advantage in net, on special teams, and have been less affected by COVID, making them our best bet at +140 on the ML. Florida lost at home to the Kings (+140) and the Senators (+220) right before the break and has been a .500 team since November 8, but is priced as the team it was in October.

Pick: Rangers ML (+140)

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