The Rangers are riding a bit of a hot streak as they visit Utah for the first time in this NHL odds, prediction, and pick.
Nate Duffett
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The New York Rangers were among the most controversial teams through the first half of the season, as it seemed like there was drama surrounding them every week. The Rangers kept losing games, and the outrage grew higher and higher in New York. However, they've turned it around lately and have a significant opportunity to get another victory when they visit the struggling Utah Hockey Club. Utah won the season's first matchup between these two teams in a 6-5 overtime thriller in New York. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a Rangers-Utah HC prediction and pick.
Here are the Rangers-Utah HC NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
New York Rangers: -1.5 (+220)
Moneyline: -115
Utah Hockey Club: +1.5 (-270)
Moneyline: -105
Over: 6 (-105)
Under: 6 (-115)
Time: 9 PM ET/6 PM PT
TV: Utah16, MSG
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Sometimes, a team struggles to put their opponents away or get the saves at the right time. Other times, they can't produce enough on offense to win games in a league where the skill is at an all-time high. Utah has been going through all those problems over the past ten games. They held a lead over the Montreal Canadiens in their last game and were finally getting some offense, but could not keep the Canadiens off the board in the second period and gave the game away. They scored two or fewer goals in the previous four games, leading to a 1-2-1 record. The record for scoring that few goals is impressive in theory, but it's no moral victory for Utah, which is now 2-7-1 over their last ten games and sixth in the Central Division.
Meanwhile, the Rangers are experiencing a mini-turnaround after a couple of months of turmoil in the Big Apple. They have points in five consecutive games and are 4-1-2 over their past seven games. New York is seventh in the Metropolitan Division and sitting behind many teams in the playoff race. However, the good news is they can jump three teams with a win against Utah and have games in hand. The return of Igor Shesterkin from an injury has helped their playoff chances immensely, but there is still tons of work to do before we can say the Rangers are back.
It'll be a difficult pill to swallow if Utah fails to contend for a playoff spot this season, thanks to their offense. The offense would be a strength for the team this season, and the front office worried about the defense, as they made many moves in the offseason to fix that issue. However, defense and goaltending are the only things that keep them going. Karel Vejmelka and Connor Ingram combined for a 2.60 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage over their past five games, which should be enough to have better than a 1-3-1 record.
We should sprint to put in the under in this game while we still can. Utah's offense had a breakout in their last matchup, but they scored two or fewer goals in four straight games before that result. If Shesterkin starts, there's a good chance Utah goes back to the two or fewer model, and this game could easily be a 3-1 or 4-1 win for the Rangers.
Final Rangers-Utah HC Prediction & Pick: Under 6 (-115)
Nate Duffett is a writer for ClutchPoints and a sports junkie at heart, especially for the Boston sports scene. Whether it's covering the NHL, MLB, NBA, NFL, or College Football and Basketball, there is not a sport Nate isn't able to discuss.
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