The Rangers will go looking to pound the limping Maple Leafs.

NY Rangers vs Toronto NHL Spread Preview

Written by on February 17, 2016

There’s no other way to say it hockey bettors. The streaking New York Rangers look like virtual locks to take down the reeling Toronto Maple Leafs when they square off on Thursday night. Now, let’s find out why that is and how you should play your NHL betting cash.

How To Bet The New York Rangers vs. Toronto Maple Leafs NHL Odds & TV Info

When: Thursday, February 18, 7:30 PM ET Where: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Ontario TV: MSG Radio: ESPN 98,7 TV Stream: MSGNetworks NHL Odds: TBA

Why Bet The New York Rangers Odds

Because they’re simply the better team in every phase! The Rangers (32-18-4-2, 26-30 ATS) have won five of their last six games including a convincing 3-1 win against Philadelphia on Sunday. Center Derek Stepan scored two goals in a contest that featured two fights in the opening minute of the match. Philly’s Wayne Simmonds fought defenseman Dylan McIlrath 39 seconds into the game and Rangers left winger Tanner Glass and Flyers center Ryan White fought 20 seconds later. “I have to be honest with you — I think our group was really focused more so on the hockey game,” Stepan said. “We’re in a spot right now with teams on our heels and two points are so precious. We can’t get too emotional and wrapped up in too much chaos. We knew it was going to be a rough game. It always is with Philly.”

Why Bet The Toronto Maple Leafs Odds

Because they’re playing at home! Toronto (20-26-4-5, 33-22 ATS) has lost four of its last five games including a humbling 7-2 road loss against Chicago on Monday as a +213 Moneyline underdog. The Maple Leafs allowed Chicago’s Patrick Kane to score one goal and assist on three others in the resounding defeat. Toronto coach Mike Babcock blamed his team’s poor special teams for the loss. “Our penalty kill wasn’t near good enough, and we took too many penalties,” Babcock said. “We weren’t in the game, basically, from the start. We turned the puck over right away, early in the first…and they just buried us on the power play.”

Expert Pick & Final Score Prediction

The Rangers are the easy pick here despite being on the road. New York ranks fifth in scoring (2.9 gpg) and a respectable 13th in goals allowed (2.5 gpg) while Toronto ranks an uninspiring 27th in scoring (2.3 gpg) and equally discouraging 25th in goals allowed (2.9). The Rangers are 4-0 in their last four games against their Eastern Conference counterparts, 5-1 in their last six games overall and a blistering 41-18 in their last 59 games against a team with a losing record. Conversely, the Maple Leafs are just 11-40 in their last 51 games against a team with a winning record and 1-4 in their last five home games. The Rangers win this affair by at least two goals. My final score prediction: Rangers 5 Maple Leafs 2