The Rangers vs. Capitals matchup will air on ABC/ESPN+ on Saturday afternoon, when the two teams meet at 1:00 p.m. ET from Capital One Arena. With the Rangers listed as moneyline road favorites and the total sitting at 5.5 goals, what’s the best bet for this afternoon’s matchup?
Game Matchup & Betting Odds
057 New York Rangers (-164) at 058 Washington Capitals (+136); o/u 5.5
1:00 p.m. ET, Saturday, January 13, 2024
Capital One Arena, Washington, DC
TV: NHLPP/ESPN+
Rangers vs. Capitals: Public Bettors Hammering New York Moneyline
As of this writing, our NHL Public Betting Page shows that 72% of bets are on the Panthers moneyline. That said, this page is updated frequently so make sure that you click on the link provided to get the most up-to-date public betting information.
Shesterkin Falls to St. Louis
Igor Shesterkin allowed four goals on 19 shots in Thursday’s 5-2 loss to the Blues. Shesterkin struggled again Thursday as the Rangers fell to St. Louis despite outshooting the Blues 42-to-20. It’s the 28-year-old netminder’s third loss in his last four starts — he’s allowed 16 goals on 94 shots in that span. Overall, Shesterkin is now 16-10-0 with a .901 save percentage and a 2.90 GAA this season. He’ll look to get back on track in his next outing, which could come as soon as Saturday in Washington.
Ovechkin Playing Through Injury
Alex Ovechkin (lower body) is considered “touch and go” for Saturday’s game against the Rangers according to coach Spencer Carbery, Bailey Johnson of The Washington Post reports. Ovechkin was a game-time decision against Seattle on Thursday but still managed to suit up, logging 16:40 of ice time on his way to a sixth straight game with a point. The world-class winger is clearly playing through something right now and with a back-to-back versus the Rangers on Saturday and Sunday, it could make sense for the Caps to rest Ovechkin for one of those two games.
Rangers vs. Capitals Betting Trends: Over Has Been Hot in Recent NY Games
The total has gone OVER in 9 of NY Rangers’ last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of NY Rangers’ last 5 games when playing Washington
Washington is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against NY Rangers
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington’s last 5 games
Rangers vs. Capitals Betting Prediction
Take Washington. The Capitals are 11-3 in their last 14 home games when playing the Rangers, which includes wins in four out of the last five meetings between these two teams. The Rangers, meanwhile, are just 1-4 in their last five games overall, dropping four out of five when listed as the favorite.
Rangers vs. Capitals Prediction: WASHINGTON CAPITALS +136