Ottawa Senators at New York Rangers

By Sam Batz

The Ottawa Senators and New York Rangers are scheduled to play their third game of the season on Thursday, Mar. 2nd (7:00 PM EST, NHLPP/ESPN+). The Rangers won the first match 3-1 in Ottawa, while the Senators took the second in overtime, winning 3-2 in New York. The series is tied 1-1, but tomorrow, in their final matchup of the season, a winner will be decided. The Rangers will be favored, as they have a better record, more points, and better odds to win the Cup (+1000). The Senators are priced +25000 to take home the championship trophy, but could easily miss the playoffs altogether; they are teetering on the edge of postseason elimination, and with every dropped point, the Senators chances narrow. 

Ottawa Senators Breakdown (+150)

The Senators are currently 30-26-4 with 64 points through 60 games. They are tied for 6th in the Atlantic Division, tied for 11th in the Eastern Conference, and according to the statistical analysis website, FiveThirtyEight, have a 9% chance to make the playoffs. The numbers aren’t great, but there’s still hope in Ottawa. They posted a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games, and are coming off back-to-back wins over the Detroit Red Wings, putting up 6 goals in each contest. In fact, the Senators have won 3 consecutive games, and will look to make it 4 against the Rangers. 

New York Rangers Breakdown (-175)

The Rangers of New York are sitting pretty with a 34-17-9 record, and 77 points, through 60 games. Like the Senators, New York went 6-3-1 in their last 10, beating the Los Angeles Kings 5-2 on Sunday, snapping a 4 game losing streak. The Rangers take on the Flyers tonight on the road (Tuesday, Mar. 1st), then fly home to play the Senators the following night. New York will face Ottawa on no rest, and could falter against the Senators, who are desperately trying to claw their way back into playoff position. The Rangers will almost certainly make the playoffs, but at this point in New York’s season, it’s all about momentum and not dropping games they are favored to win. 

Senators vs. Rangers: Top-Players

Ottawa Senators:

Brady Tkachuk: Ottawa’s Left Winger has recorded 63 player points (26 goals, 37 assists) and has played in all 60 games for the Senators. He leads to the team in assists and has scored the second-most goals. In his last 10 games, Tkachuk averaged 0.6 goals, 0.6 assists, and 1.2 points. Against the Rangers, he has 5 goals and 6 assists in 11 games during his 5 season career. 

Tim Stutzle: Ottawa’s other Left Winger has also recorded 63 player points (28 goals, 35 assists) but has played in 4 fewer games. Stutzle leads the Senators in goals and is tied for the second-most assists. He averaged 0.6 goals, 0.8 assists, and 1.4 points through his last 10 games. Over his 3 season career, Stutzle has 2 goals and 1 assists in 4 games against the Rangers. 

New York Rangers:

Artemi Panarin: The Rangers starting Left Wing leads New York with 67 player points (19 goals, 48 assists). Panarin has 6 goals and 14 assists in 18 games versus the Senators in his 8 season career. He averaged 0.7 goals, 0.8 assists, and 1.5 points in his last 10 games. I predict Panarin will get 1 player point against the Senators. 

Mika Zibanejad: New York’s starting Center has recorded 64 player points (31 goals, 33 assists). He has scored the most goals for the Rangers, is 3rd in assists. Zibanejad averaged 0.7 goals, 0.55 assists, and 1.07 points in his last 10 games. He has 8 goals and 6 assists in 12 games against the Senators over his 12 season career. Zibanejad is the most likely Ranger to score a goal against Ottawa. 

Senators vs. Rangers: Season Stats

Ottawa Senators (30-26-4) 64 187 (T-17th) 188 (T-15nd) -1 3.12 (18th) 3.13 (16th) 18-12-2 (56.3%) 12-14-2 (42.9%)

Stat Type Pts Total GF Total GA G Diff GF/GP GA/GP Home (Win-rate) Away (Win-rate)

New York Rangers (34-17-9) 77 198 (11th) 166 (T-9th) +32 3.30 (12th) 2.77 (T-10th) 17-10-4 (54.8%) 17-7-5 (58.6%)

Senators vs. Rangers: Betting Trends

Ottawa Senators 32-28 15-13 (Away) 20-14 (vs. East) 26-30-4 7-3 9-17-3 (as Underdogs) 7-11-2 (Underdogs Away)

Betting Trend ATS (Season) ATS (Home/Away) ATS (Conference) O/U (Season) O/U (Last 10) ML (Favorite/Underdog) ML (Home/Away)

New York Rangers 33-27 14-17 (Home) 17-13 (vs. East) 28-31-1 7-3 25-13-4 (as Favorites) 14-9-3 (Favorites Home)

Senators vs. Rangers: Odds

Betting odds courtesy of PointsBet:

Team	Spread	Total	Moneyline
Ottawa Senators	N/A	N/A	N/A
New York Rangers	N/A	N/A	N/A

Check back later for the latest point spread, totals, and moneyline odds on PointsBet. 

We are supported by Caesar Sportsbook. Click here to get up to $1,250 back as a bet credit on your first wager with Caesar.

Prediction

This is a tough game to call. The Rangers are the presumed favorites and would be the safer pick, according to their odds, but I like the underdog Senators in this one. Ottawa’s odds to win are manageable, and considering they already beat the Rangers in Madison Square Garden earlier this season, it’s safe to assume they could do it again. The Rangers have not looked great in recent weeks, posting a 1-4 record in their last 5 games (not including the Flyers). The Senators on the other hand, have taken matters into their own hands, posting a 4-1 record in their last 5, and with their playoff hopes on the line, will enter this one ready to fight for their season.

Prediction: Ottawa Senators (+150) Win the game by the Over. Final Score: 4-3. 

By clicking here you can see OSB’s amazing sports betting packages. There are monthly, weekly, and daily options which are designed to fit the needs of every sports betting enthusiast. 

Click here to visit OSB’s blog posts where you can get expert advice on every game, team, and player, which will improve your chances to win your bets.