Sartori's prediction: Expect a high-scoring Winter Classic when the Rangers visit the Panthers.
NHL
The Florida Panthers host the New York Rangers in this year’s Winter Classic at loanDepot Park.
High-scoring games are typically the norm when these teams meet, and my Rangers vs. Panthers predictions expect this trend to continue tonight.
Read on for my NHL picks for Friday, January 2.
Rangers vs Panthers best bet: Over 5.5 (-110)
There have been eight total goals scored in each of the past two meetings between these teams, which makes sense given their defensive woes.
This season, both teams rank 21st or lower in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky has struggled behind the Florida Panthers‘ poor defensive play and is slated to start Friday. Entering this matchup, Bobrovsky owns a .888 save percentage.
In his most recent outing against the New York Rangers, Bobrovsky surrendered five goals on 25 shots for a .800 save percentage in a 5-3 loss.
The good news for Bobrovsky is that he could receive more goal support this time around.
While the Panthers have struggled defensively, their offense has been humming, averaging 3.33 goals per game over their past six outings.
There have been six or more total goals scored in five of those six games.
Florida has also done a strong job generating high-danger scoring chances, ranking sixth in the league in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60).
Both teams will likely need goal production for the over to cash, and there may not be two stronger candidates than Artemi Panarin and Brad Marchand.
Panarin leads New York in goals this season, while Marchand leads Florida in the same category.
Marchand enters this contest in particularly strong form, having scored in each of his past three games.
There have been six or more total goals scored in five of Florida’s past six games. Find more NHL betting trends for Rangers vs. Panthers.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change.
Not intended for use in MA.
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Tony Sartori has written over 1,000 pieces of sports betting content across multiple different media outlets. He covers the NHL, UFC, PGA, NFL and MLB. Tony started part-time while attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he went on to receive a B.A. in Economics and a certificate in Entrepreneurship in 2022. He continues to work full-time in the sports betting landscape.
Due to the variety of sports he covers, Tony is handicapping every day. If he had one piece of betting advice for a new sports bettor, it would be to strictly enforce bankroll management rules for yourself. If you set aside $10,000 for your betting bankroll, then you should generally only be betting between $100 – $500 per play.
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