Washington proved to be greater than the total sum of its parts in gaining the Stanley Cup betting odds playoffs. Still, an opening-round matchup with the New York Rangers figures to be an uphill, though not impossible, climb. The Washington Capitals were not expected to make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs but a thundering finish has punched their ticket. It is true that Washington’s metrics range from bad to mediocre in all categories. Equally important is that Alex Ovechkin is significantly down from his peak.
2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs – First Round Matchup Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers
| Date and Time: | Tuesday, April 23, 2024, 7 PM ET. |
|---|---|
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY. |
| TV Coverage: | ESPN |
| Team | Spread | Total | ML | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capitals | +1½ -120 | 5½ +105 | +230 |  |
| Rangers | -1½ EV | 5½ -125 | -270 | |
| ||||
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers Series Schedule, All Times Eastern
- New York Rangers (Metropolitan 1) vs. Washington Capitals (wild card 2)
- Game 1: April 21, Capitals 1 at Rangers 4
- Game 2: April 23, Capitals at Rangers, 7, ESPN
- Game 3: April 26, Rangers at Capitals, 7, TNT, truTV
- Game 4: April 28, Rangers at Capitals, 8, TBS, truTV
- x-Game 5: May 1, Capitals at Rangers, TBD
- x-Game 6: May 3, Rangers at Capitals, TBD
- x-Game 7: May 5, Capitals at Rangers, TBD
Washington Capitals Team Overview
This year, the Washington Capitals are 40-31-11 straight up and 34-41 over/under the offshore bookmaker total. Also, Washington is 8th in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Washington is 23 points behind the Rangers in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Late on, Washington has covered four out of their last five games. While the Capitals have gone over the total in one of its previous ten matchups.
Washington has NHL rankings of 28th for goals scored and 17th for power play efficiency. In comparison on defense, the Capitals have NHL rankings of 16th for goals against and 18th for penalty killing.
Of course, LW Alex Ovechkin leads Washington with 31 goals, 34 assists, 65 points, and a -22. G Charlie Lindgren has a 2.67 goals against average, a .911 save percentage, and a record of 25-16-7 with six shutouts.
New York Rangers Team Overview
This year, the New York Rangers are 55-23-4 straight up and 44-36 over/under the NHL Playoff betting odds total. Also, New York is 1st in the Eastern Conference playoff standings. Carolina is three points behind the Rangers in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Late on, New York has covered five out of their last eight games. While the Rangers have gone over the total in six of its previous nine matchups.
New York has NHL rankings of 7th for goals scored and 3rd for power play efficiency. In comparison, on defense, the Rangers have NHL rankings of 7th for goals against and 33rd for penalty killing.
LW Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with 49 goals, 71 assists, 120 points and a +18. Also, G Igor Shesterkin has a 2.58 goals against average, a 912 save percentage, and a record of 36-17-2 with four shutouts.
For the third consecutive season, the New York Rangers have surpassed the 106-point total in the regular season. Namely, Peter Laviolette was a mercenary hired to replace Gerard Gallant as head coach. Laviolette has liked three different teams in the Stanley Cup Final, with a 2006 championship at Carolina. Following a stellar regular season, Laviolette’s Rangers have the look of a potential champion.
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers SBG Free Picks
In this situation, Washington is significantly outclassed.
Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers SBG Best Bet: New York Rangers.