The New York Rangers (15-15-1) travel to face off against the Dallas Stars (19-12-0) on Friday, December 20th. This game will be played at American Airlines Center in Dallas and televised on ESPN+. The Rangers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Stars are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Panthers. Puck drop is set for 8:00 ET.

Rangers vs Stars

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

The Rangers evened their record at 15-15-1 with a 5-2 road win over the Islanders. Entering the game as -1.5 goal favorites, they covered the puck line with ease. The total was set at 6 goals, and the combined 7 goals pushed the game over the line.

Four different players contributed to the Rangers’ scoring, with Artemi Panarin leading the way with two goals. The Rangers built a 2-0 lead before the Islanders got on the board, and they pulled away with two more goals in the third period.

The Dallas Stars Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Dallas dropped to 19-12-0 with a 4-2 loss to the Panthers. The Stars were underdogs on the puck line and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined 6 goals fell just short of that mark.

After trailing 2-0, the Stars tied it up with two goals in the second period. However, the Panthers pulled ahead in the third, sealing the win with an empty-net goal.

New York Offense Breakdown

Artemi Panarin led the way for the Rangers with his 9th goal of the season, which came on an empty net, and his 8th goal, scored on a power play in the second period. Chris Kreider opened the scoring with his 8th goal, a shorthanded effort in the first period. Vincent Trocheck added his 4th goal, while Adam Edstrom netted his 1st of the season in the third period.

Mika Zibanejad contributed with his 8th assist on Panarin’s empty-netter and picked up his 7th assist on Kreider’s shorthanded goal. The Rangers fired 40 shots on goal and had 14 giveaways.

Stars Offense Breakdown

Dallas took 25 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 4-2 loss to Florida. Evgenii Dadonov scored his second goal of the season on a power play, while Matt Duchene added his seventh goal and picked up his eighth assist.

The Stars were held scoreless in the first period before getting on the board at 8:38 in the second. Dallas had 32 giveaways in the game.

New York Team Defense

On defense, the Rangers will look to build off their previous performance, where they allowed just two goals to the Islanders. Igor Shesterkin made 35 saves with a 94.6% save percentage. Defensively, the Rangers also finished with 10 takeaways, 19 hits, and 18 blocks.

Dallas Team Defense

On the defensive side, the Stars gave up the first two goals of the game and two more in the third period, leading to a 4-2 loss. Casey DeSmith made 21 saves with a save percentage of 87.5%. The defense also recorded 26 hits and 5 takeaways.

Rangers vs Stars Trends

• Through their last five road contests, the Rangers offense has averaged 1 goals per game while allowing an average of 2. New York posted an overall record of 1-4 while going 1-4 ATS.
• In their last ten games at home, the Stars have a straight up record of 7-3 while going 6-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Stars have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Rangers have gone 1-9 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 3-7.

Rangers vs Stars Prediction

If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Rangers to take down the Stars on the road. With the moneyline currently at +154, I’m placing my bet on the Rangers straight-up.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Rangers winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Rangers straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.