The New York Rangers and Ottawa Senators are set to face off in what is a highly anticipated matchup with it being Patrick Kane’s first game in blue.
It’s going to be an exciting night at Madison Square Garden, but the Rangers are welcoming in a red-hot Ottawa team that is pushing to make the playoffs. This is going to be such a fun night.
Find out my best bet in our free NHL betting picks and predictions for the Rangers vs. Senators on March 2.
Senators vs Rangers best odds
Senators vs Rangers picks and predictions
The New York Rangers are playing the second game of a back-to-back after winning in overtime in Philadelphia last night thanks to the heroics of Vladimir Tarasenko and his three-point night.
The Rangers have needed to find their offense and goal scoring after having a quiet couple of games, but it appears they are rounding the corner after scoring eight goals in their last two games. That being said, tonight they add one of the biggest pieces in the NHL to their roster in Patrick Kane, so this should be a massive addition to their group of forwards.
Kane is expected to slot in on the right side of the "second line", skating next to Vincent Trochek and his former Chicago teammate — Artemi Panarin. The last full season Kane and Panarin played together saw these two combine for 163 points, so there'll be no shortage of chemistry.
Although the offense is looking unstoppable, New York will be shorthanded on the blue line tonight as Ryan Lindgren and K'Andre Miller are set to miss out. This will likely force the Rangers to play with five defensemen, with Niko Mikkola and Adam Fox manning the first pairing. Lindgren's +27 rating will be heavily missed, especially against a scorching Ottawa offense.
The Senators are no team to sleep on. They went and added 24-year-old Jakob Chychrun yesterday, making them even that much better.
The Sens have been on fire during their three-game winning streak and they have exploded offensively, scoring 17 goals in this span. One of their biggest weapons on this win streak has been the work on the man advantage, capitalizing at a 31% clip (4-for-13). A hot power play doesn't bode well for New York's 17th-ranked penalty kill unit.
With the addition of Patty Kane, two key defensemen missing, and an Ottawa power play that has scored multiple goals in two straight, all signs point to the Over tonight.
My best bet: Over 6.5 (-120 at BetMGM)
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Senators vs Rangers moneyline analysis
The Rangers and Senators have met two times this season and have split wins thus far. This matchup opened with the home side as a -168 favorite, but it has since been bet down to around -150. Meanwhile, Ottawa can be found anywhere from +125 to +140, so be sure to shop around if you're on the dog tonight.
New York's roster has had a ton of shifts in the last couple of weeks and as mentioned already, it's still missing two of its key defenseman in K’Andre Miller who is serving a suspension, and Ryan Lindgren who is out with an injury. There’s a lot of buzz around Patrick Kane, but missing these two players is much bigger than it may seem.
Ottawa has been led by Tim Stutzle and Claude Giroux as of late, as those two have looked incredible during the winning streak.
The goaltending matchup is most likely going to be Cam Talbot up against Jaroslav Halak since Igor Shesterkin started last night, but this might be a rare occasion where Shesterkin starts in back-to-back games.
The emotion of this game might be too much and I actually think the Senators might be the better pick in this spot. I think Ottawa will Spoil Kane’s debut.
Senators vs Rangers Over/Under analysis
The total for this game opened at 6.5, but a couple of 6s have shown up across the board. The price for a 6.5 is mainly down the board, with some books expecting an extra 20 cents if you're leaning toward the Over.
I know the first two meetings between these teams both went Under, but a lot has changed for both of them since their last meeting on December 2.
The Rangers are averaging 3.30 goals per game and the Senators aren’t so far behind, scoring 3.12 gpg. Both teams also have two of the best power play units, Ottawa being fourth, converting at a 25.4% rate and New York at ninth, converting at a 23..1% rate.
The goaltending battle is unknown at the moment, but with the offensive talent on both sides, this should be a very north-south, exciting game. I want to see all the goals.
Senators vs Rangers betting trend to know
The Over is 4-1 in the Rangers' last five home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Senators vs Rangers.
Senators vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Thursday, March 2, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TSN5, MSG |
Senators vs Rangers key injuries
