NHL Betting Picks: Boston Bruins at New York Rangers

Added on Apr 04, 2011 by Jack Thurman in

NHL

With the NBA ceding the stage to the NCAA tournament on Monday night we’ll move right on to the NHL and take a look at one of two games on the board. Important Eastern Conference battle on tap as the Boston Bruins visit Madison Square Garden to take on the New York Rangers who are furiously trying to hold on to the final playoff spot in the conference. The Rangers have 3 games remaining and lead 9th place Carolina by only 2 points. The Bruins have clinched a postseason berth by virtue of their divisional title and have an outside shot at running down Philadelphia and/or Washington for the best overall record in the East. This game will be televised on the VERSUS cable network in the US.

Boston Bruins at New York Rangers
April 4, 2011 4:35 PM Pacific

A lot to like about Boston here–the Bruins play as well on the road as they do at home and are in better form entering this contest. Boston has won five of their last seven games while the Rangers have lost 3 of 5 after winning 5 straight. New York is one of those dysfunctional teams with a better record on the road than at home. And as everyone knows teams in ‘must win’ situations are usually ‘go against’ positions for serious sports betting enthusiasts.

There’s a couple of wrinkles to this matchup, however, that has us looking to the home team despite all of this. Boston’s ability to play well on the road takes a lot of the urgency out of securing home ice advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoff rounds. It’s one of those things that they’d probably *like* to get, but it won’t adversely impact their chances for a long playoff run if they don’t. The Rangers, meanwhile, know that they have their postseason fate in their own hands if they win out. With games on deck against Atlanta and a New Jersey team that could be in letdown mode after their playoff run fell short that’s a very realistic possibility.

This is obviously the most challenging game on the schedule for the Rangers, but they’ve played well against the Bruins not only this year but in recent years. New York has won 2 of the 3 previous meetings this season and 7 of 11 since 2008. This includes a 4-1 record against Boston at Madison Square Garden. We’ll look for a strong effort from New York to get the win here.

Bet New York Rangers -120 over Boston Bruins