USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
The New York Rangers are more or less right where everybody expected them to be through the first chunk of the 2024-25 season.
Perhaps nobody expected them to be sitting at 6-1-1 with the best points percentage in the Eastern Conference, but the consensus was that the Blueshirts were one of the best teams in the league, so it’s not a shock to see them in this perch.
The same can’t be said of the Washington Capitals.
The Caps were busy in the offseason and made some significant improvements to their roster, but there were not many people who thought that Washington was going to be fighting at the top of the Metropolitan Division.
There was some belief that the Capitals could be in the mix for a playoff berth, but that was the team’s ceiling.
Not so fast.
Washington is 5-2 out of the gates and there’s nothing in the numbers that suggests this is a flukey start.
Rangers vs. Capitals odds
| Team | Moneyline | Puck line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | -155 | -1.5 (+164) | o6 (-108) |
| Capitals | +130 | +1.5 (-198) | u6 (112) |
Rangers vs. Capitals prediction
The Caps pulled a bit of a stunner last season when they qualified for the playoffs despite a -37 goal difference.
There were plenty of jokes made at the expense of Washington’s mediocrity, but the truth is that the Caps had a formula.
They were terrific in tight games and played with the type of defensive structure that automatically raises any team’s floor. They were tough to beat.
To get back to the playoffs the Caps knew they’d have to stay committed to that defensive structure, but they also needed to address a lack of scoring depth.
Washington did just that by bringing in Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane and Jakub Vrana this summer.
With more scoring depth and a defense that ranks inside the top five in preventing high-danger scoring chances and expected goals conceded, the Caps now have more than one way to win a game.
That’s not something that was true last season.
There aren’t many holes to poke in the Rangers’ game right now, but it can be noted that their schedule has been pretty soft.
The Blueshirts have played just two teams that qualified for the playoffs last season (Florida and Toronto) and went 1-1 in those contests.
We know the Rangers are good, but they haven’t really run a gauntlet.
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Washington still has a long way to go to prove it is a legitimate contender like the Rangers, but there’s no denying the team is in terrific form and has a sustainable way of getting results.
That makes them a live underdog in almost any matchup, including one against the Blueshirts.
The Bet: Capitals (+130, DraftKings)
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.