Rangers vs. Panthers prediction: NHL odds, picks, bets Thursday

There’s a very familiar feeling about the 2024-25 Rangers.

Just like last October, the Blueshirts have been shot out of a cannon and currently sport the second-best points percentage (.917) in the NHL after six games.

The Rangers are the only team in the Eastern Conference and one of just three in the league without a regulation loss. 

The formula for the Blueshirts feels familiar, too.

The Rangers are shooting the lights out, they’re dominant on special teams and their goaltending has been elite. 

The only bit of criticism you can lob at this team through two weeks — and it is a stretch — is that the schedule has been relatively soft, with their game in Toronto being the only one in which they weren’t the betting favorite. 

The opposition will be pretty stiff Thursday night, however, as the Blueshirts host the defending Stanley Cup champions at Madison Square Garden. 

Rangers vs. Panthers odds

The good news for the Rangers is that the Panthers are not at the height of their powers just yet.

Aleksander Barkov, the game’s best two-way center, is on the sidelines and the Cats have understandably felt the impact of that loss.

Florida has lost two of its last three contests and is giving up 3.7 goals against per game since Barkov exited the lineup. 

Part of that leakiness is due to poor goaltending from Sergei Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight to start the season, but it’s also down to an uncharacteristically suspect defense.

Betting on the NHL?

The expectation is that Florida’s back line will get better as we get deeper into the schedule, but the Cats are still trying to patch together a new-look unit and losing Barkov as a safety blanket against the opposition’s top players further complicates matters. 

With the Rangers’ offense humming the way it is and the Panthers struggling to find some form in their own zone, a play on the Blueshirts to not only win, but cover the puck line seems a viable way to find some value at the Garden on Thursday night. 

THE PLAY: Rangers -1.5 goals (+180, FanDuel)

Why Trust New York Post Betting

Michael Leboff handicaps the EPL, NHL, golf and anything else that isn’t the NFL and NBA for the NY Post. He’s up 49.73 units betting EPL with a 7.17% ROI.