The New York Rangers (19-18-5) and Florida Panthers (21-15-3) meet in the Winter Classic Friday at LoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida. Puck drop is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (TNT / HBO Max / truTV). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Rangers vs. Panthers and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
2024-25 season series: Panthers won 2-1
The Rangers and Panthers will meet at LoanDepot Stadium, the home of the Major League Baseball Miami Marlins organization. While you might have seen photos on social media of the ice surface being prepared indoors, the stadium has a retractable roof, and will, indeed, be played outside. Temperatures are forecasted to be around 60-64 degrees during the game.
Florida is playing in its first-ever outdoor game, while New York has posted a 5-0 mark in regular-season outdoor games in its history.
The Rangers are 14-8-2 on the road this season, but are just 0-2-1 in the past 3, including a 6-3 loss Wednesday at the Washington Capitals as slight underdogs (+125) as the Over (5.5) cashed. D Adam Fox had a power-play goal (PPG), and G Jonathan Quick made 21 saves on 26 shots in the loss.
The Panthers suffered a 3-2 loss in overtime against the visiting Montreal Canadiens Tuesday as slight favorites (-120) as the Under (6.5) cashed. C Brad Marchand (PPG) and C Sam Reinhart had goals to give Florida a 2-0 lead, but G Daniil Tarasov couldn’t hold the lead, falling in OT.
Florida is 9-3-2 since Dec. 4, while the Over is still 5-1 in the past 6 games despite Tuesday’s Under result.
Rangers at Panthers odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 6:49 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Rangers +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Panthers -145 (bet $145 to win $100)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rangers +1.5 (-210) | Panthers -1.5 (+170)Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)Rangers at Panthers projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (16-12-4, 2.51 GAA, .909 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (17-9-1, 2.79 GAA, .887 SV%, 3 SO)
Shesterkin allowed 3 goals on 35 shots in Monday’s 3-2 OTL in Raleigh against the Carolina Hurricanes. He hasn’t won the past 2 road games despite allowing just 4 goals. He was 6-3-2 with a 2.58 GAA and .907 SV% in 11 starts in December.
Bobrovsky was rested Monday, as he got a few days off ahead of the Winter Classic. He has won 7 of the past 8 starts, including a 5-3 win against the Capitals with 24 saves. He went 7-2-1 with a 2.67 GAA and .896 SV% with 1 shutout in 10 starts in December.
Rangers at Panthers picks and predictionsPrediction
Rangers 3, Panthers 2
RANGERS (+120) is worth a look as slight underdogs in this outdoor game. New York has actually never lost in 5 previously tries outdoors, although each of those 5 regular-season games have taken place in more traditional outdoor venues, not South Florida.
The Panthers are making their first-ever appearance in an outdoor game. While the Panthers are playing well, the Rangers have been tremendous on the road, and they’ve proven strong in outdoor games in the past.
The Rangers +1.5 (-210) will cost you more than 2 times your potential return, but that’s a little too expensive for a standalone play. If you were to toss New York into a multi-leg parlay, or same-game parlay, it would be OK to back the Rangers on the puck line then.
AVOID.
UNDER 5.5 (-105) is a good play in this outdoor game.
The concern is the quality of the ice in South Florida, with temperatures in the 60’s, and the potential of humidity affecting the ice, too. We could have sticky ice, and slower conditions than we have indoors.
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