Washington Capitals vs. New York Rangers: Game preview, predictions and odds | January 4, 2024

The Washington Capitals and New York Rangers will face off on Saturday at noon EST. The Capitals are red-hot and one of the league's best teams at 25-10-3 and have the third-most points this year. On the other hand, the Rangers are one of the league's worst. They're off to a disappointing 17-19-1 start and have fifth-fewest points.

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Capitals vs Rangers: Head-to-head & key numbers

• The Capitals are 146-136-18-4 against the Rangers.
• Washington is 84-57-9-1 all-time when hosting New York.
• The Capitals won the first matchup in this season series 5-3.
• The Caps have not won a season series against New York since 2018-19.
• The Rangers score 2.9 goals when visiting the Capitals.
• The Washington Capitals average 3.3 goals when hosting the Rangers.

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Washington Capitals vs New York Rangers: Preview

The Washington Capitals have withstood a few key injuries, operating like a well-oiled machine and have the third-most wins in the NHL this season. Meanwhile, the New York Rangers have experienced Murphy's Law. After a deep playoff run last year, they're seventh in the Metropolitan Division.

The New York Rangers are underdogs tonight (Imagn)

The Capitals do not have many injuries to report. Alex Ovechkin just returned from Injured Reserve with a broken leg and scored in his return to the lineup. The Rangers recently placed Igor Shesterkin, their star goalie, on IR and won't play on Saturday.

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Capitals vs Rangers Betting Tips

• The Capitals are 12-6-3 as the favorites this year.
• As underdogs, the Rangers are 2-8 on the season.
• The Rangers are 12-25 against the spread and 8-11 ATS on the road.
• The Capitals are 24-14 against the spread and 12-7 ATS at home.

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Capitals vs Rangers: Odds and Predictions

Per Oddsshark, the Washington Capitals are the favorites over the New York Rangers. Here are the full odds.

• Washington is -122 to win outright.
• New York is -102 on the moneyline.
• The puck line is Capitals -1.5, which is +165.
• The Rangers are -200 to cover.
• The over/under is set at 6.5 goals.
• The over is +110, while the under is -130.

Prediction:

The Capitals will win this matchup. They're only getting healthier and stronger, and the Rangers just lost their best goalie. The two teams should combine to hit the over, and the Rangers will find a way to cover at home.

Capitals 4, Rangers 3.