Capitals vs Rangers Betting Odds - Ovechkin or not, Caps will take Big Apple by storm
The Capitals vs Rangers odds should draw plenty of eyes tonight as Alexander Ovechkin is almost certain to return from his upper body injury. Poolies and sports betting fans alike will rejoice to see him rejoin the Washington lineup. But can the Caps handle a tough road matchup against King Henrik Lundqvist and the Broadway Blueshirts?
| Capitals vs Rangers betting odds: Ovechkin won’t miss a beat in his return from injury |
| - Capitals went 4-2-0 with Ovechkin out of the lineup |
| - Marian Gaborik ranks second in the NHL with 25 points |
| - Capitals have won three of last five games at Madison Square Garden |
Tonight, 7:00 p.m. ET
Capitals vs Rangers odds: Capitals -105, Rangers -115
Washington: 12-4-4 (1st Southeast)
New York Rangers: 11-8-1 (4th Atlantic)
Ovechkin’s return to Washington’s lineup gets major hype but another significant storyline developed during his absence: the Capitals kept winning. They went 4-2-0 without Ovechkin, showing the NHL that they’re far from a one-man team. Mike Green’s offensive play is picking up and Brooks Laich’s breakout season continues. The most interesting development of all is Tomas Fleischmann’s play. He has seven goals and 10 points in nine games and an eight-game point streak. Now that the Caps can confidently roll two potent scoring lines, they’re extra dangerous.
NHL betting fans don’t know what to make of the New York Rangers right now. As they have the last few years, they started the year extremely hot, but they’ve slipped back into mediocre hockey of late. Marian Gaborik is showing no signs of letting up, ranking second in the NHL scoring race with 25 points. For everyone wondering just what he could do outside of Jacques Lemaire’s defensive system, the answer is emphatically clear. The problem is that Gaborik isn’t getting much help right now. New York’s recurring problem in recent seasons has been a lack of offense and it’s popping up again. Four goals combined from Chris Drury and Chris Higgins simply doesn’t cut it; until the Rangers can ice more than one scoring line, there’s a limit to what they can do.
DON’S PICK: Sometimes, when a star player returns from injury, he’s rusty and a bit tentative. Don’t count on that from Ovechkin. He makes his living consistently doing things than no one else can do, so we should expect to see him flying around the ice as he returns from his first real injury. Lundqvist could steal the game considering that he’s 9-3-0 lifetime versus Washington but his 2.79 goals against average against the Caps is pretty pedestrian. Also, including the 2008-09 playoffs, the Caps are 3-2-0 in their last five trips to Madison Square Garden, so they won’t be intimidated. Bet on Washington. Even if Ovechkin ends up missing the game, the Caps have proven they can succeed without him.
Capitals vs Rangers betting edge: Capitals -105
The BetOnline.com sportsbook will update the Capitals vs Rangers betting odds throughout the day. For more online betting tips from our experts, bookmark the Betting Edge section.
