The New York Rangers (54-23-4) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (40-31-11) on Friday, April 26th. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington and televised on TNT. Both team’s come into this one having won their previous games. Puck drop is set for 7:00 ET.

Rangers vs Capitals

The New York Rangers Are Coming Off A Win

Heading into their final game of the season, the Rangers have already clinched the top spot in the Eastern Conference and the Metropolitan Division. Overall, New York has a record of 54-23-4, including a mark of 34-16 against other Eastern Conference teams. On the road, the Rangers have gone 25-12-4 this year.

New York has won their last two games and has gone 7-3 in their last ten. Over their last five games, the Rangers have a record of 4-1. When favored, New York has gone 43-19-2 this season and have won two straight games as the favorite.

On the road, the Rangers have gone 22-19 vs. the puck line this season, and they have an average scoring margin of +.5 goals per game. So far, they have 31 wins by multiple goals and 23 by just one goal.

Overall, the team’s puck line record is 40-41, and they have gone 25-39 vs. the puck line when favored. In their last ten games, New York has gone just 3-7 vs. the puck line.

In their last game, the Rangers were the hosts against the Senators, and they came away with a 4-0 win. Against the Senators, Rangers’ offense was able to score in all three periods. The New York offense recorded 34 shots on goal and successfully netted one time while short-handed during the game.

Coming into the game favored by -1.5, New York also managed to pick up a victory against the puck line. The game finished below the over/under line of 6.5 with a combined total of 4 goals.

The Washington Capitals Are Coming Off A Win

At home this season, the Capitals have gone 22-12-7 and have won two straight games at Capital One Arena. Against Eastern Conference opponents, Washington has gone 25-25 and is in 8th place in the conference standings.

Over their last ten games, the Capitals have gone 4-6 and have lost two of their last three games. As the underdog, Washington has gone 26-28-8 this season and has won three straight games as the underdog.

Overall, the Capitals have gone 40-42 on the puck line this year, including 20-42 as the underdog. So far, Washington has had 20 wins by multiple goals and 20 wins by just one goal.

Washington comes into the game with a puck line mark of 21-20 at home, and they have gone 5-5 on the puck line in their last ten games at home. Across their last ten games, the Capitals have gone 5-5 on the puck line.

In their last game, the Capitals went up against the Flyers and emerged as winners with a score of 2-1. In the 3rd period, the Capitals found the net one time against the Flyers after their one goal in the first period. All two goals came at even strength. They finished with 18 shots on goal and had 8 turnovers.

Going into the game, Washington was the underdog, giving them a win vs. the puck line. The over/under line for the game was 5.5, and it concluded with a combined total of 3 goals.

New York Offense Breakdown

In terms of their offensive performance, the Rangers are averaging 3.4 goals per game this season, putting them in the 9th spot in the NHL. When it comes to shots on goal per game, they are ranked 14th in the league. In terms of the Rangers’ offense during power plays, they are 7th in power play goals and 11th in shorthanded goals.

The Rangers come in with an over/under record of 44-34-3. Over the season, there have been 50 games that have surpassed the 5.5 over/under line. Their games, on average, are at 6.3 goals per game.

Capitals Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Capitals are averaging 2.6 goals per game which is 28th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 30th in the league. This season, the Capitals have a 11-8 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. In games with fewer shots on goal, they hold a 28-23 record.

This season, the Capitals have an over/under record of 34-42-6. Throughout the season, they have played 42 games that went over the 5.5 over/under line. The average number of goals in their games is 5.8 per game.

New York Team Defense

In terms of defense, the Rangers head into the game ranked 22nd in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 29.3 shots per game against New York. So far, they are 14th in shutouts, achieving 5 shutouts.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals come into the season ranked 12th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 30.4 shots per game against Washington. For the season, they are ranked 6th in shutouts, coming in with 7 shutouts.

Rangers vs Capitals Trends

• The Rangers are 3-2 puck line in their last road games and 4-1 straight-up.
• In their last five home games, Washington has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing 2. The team’s record in this stretch was 2-3 while going 3-2.
• As the betting underdog, the Capitals have an puck line mark of just 5-5 in their last ten games. Washington posted a straight up mark of 4-6 in these matchups.
• The last ten games that New York was favored, they have an puck line mark of 3-7 while going 7-3 straight up.

Rangers vs Capitals Prediction

To those searching for a pure moneyline wager, the Rangers is the clear pick. Still, with a payout of -175, it’s worth thinking about including this bet in a parlay.

When it comes to my suggested pick for the puck line, I’d advise taking the Capitals to cover. Even in the event of a Rangers victory, this matchup is likely to remain closely contested, and the Capitals should cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making 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.