Red Wings vs. Rangers Odds
| Red Wings Odds | +130 |
| Rangers Odds | -156 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +104 / -128 |
The Red Wings got off to a 5-1-0 start, but they've lost some of their polish and have dipped to 7-4-1, and the situation might get worse Tuesday against the dominant Rangers.
Let's preview the upcoming contest and then offer a Red Wings vs. Rangers prediction tonight.
Detroit Red Wings
Let's begin with what made the Red Wings successful early on and what's at the heart of their decline.
Detroit's successful offense over the first seven contests was authored by forwards Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin, who provided 13 and 14 points, respectively, and defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who contributed three goals and nine points, including six points on the power play.
That trio has cooled significantly over the last five contests. Larkin has a goal and three points, DeBrincat has been limited to just one assist, and Gostisbehere hasn't factored on offense at all over that span.
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A lot of Detroit's other main offensive contributors have continued to produce. For example, over the last five games, Lucas Raymond has three goals and five points while defenseman Moritz Seider has chipped in four helpers.
However, Detroit really needs that top-line duo of DeBrincat and Larkin – and to a lesser extent Gostisbehere's work on the power play – to elevate the team beyond mediocrity from a scoring perspective.
When the Red Wings' attack doesn't overwhelm the competition, the team is in dire trouble. Goaltender Ville Husso isn't going to steal them many games. He has a 3.37 GAA and an .896 save percentage through eight contests, which is roughly in line with how he did last year.
Detroit's defense isn't particularly good either – its expected goals against ranks 22nd with 38.16 – so the Red Wings really are a team that wins high-scoring games or not at all.
The Red Wings haven't won a game in which they've scored fewer than four goals. That's in contrast to the Rangers, who are 2-1-0 in contests in which they've managed two or fewer markers.
New York Rangers
The Rangers are a deeper team than Detroit, and they've got Igor Shesterkin, who has a 6-2-0 record, 2.36 GAA and .913 save percentage in eight contests this season – or at least, they usually have Shesterkin, which ties into New York's current challenge.
Sure, the Rangers are 8-2-1 this year, but that's not the team Detroit will be facing. Top defenseman Adam Fox (lower body) and second-line center Filip Chytil (upper body) are unavailable Tuesday. There's also a chance Shesterkin (lower body) might miss the contest after missing Saturday's game, though the goaltender hasn't been ruled out.
Those absences improve Detroit's chances, but the Rangers are still a tough opponent.
Artemi Panarin is one of the league's top forwards with six goals and 18 points through 11 contests this campaign.
Unlike the Red Wings' stars, Panarin is hot too; not only has he supplied at least a point in every appearance this season, but he's provided multiple points in five of his last seven outings.
Chris Kreider is rolling too, netting a goal in each of his last three games, bringing him up to eight markers and 10 points in 11 appearances this year.
The Rangers also have Erik Gustafsson. Sure, he's no Fox, but Gustafsson can slide into a top power-play role without looking out of place. He had a goal and an assist Saturday, bringing him up to six points in 11 outings.
With Fox still out, Gustafsson might be due for another big game. New York in general should do well offensively against the likes of Detroit.
Red Wings vs. Rangers
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Rangers are regarded as the favorites by oddsmakers despite their injuries.
If this were a couple of weeks ago when DeBrincat and Larkin were red hot, that would have surprised me, but with the Red Wings as they are now, it makes more sense. The Rangers have such a commanding team that it's hard to bet against them.
The injuries are at least enough to keep me from taking New York on the puck line, though, and the potential payout on the moneyline isn't quite high enough for my tastes.
Instead, I recommend selecting the Under 6.5 goals on FanDuel (other sportsbooks have the over/under at 6, which makes it a bit riskier elsewhere).
The Rangers' offense is still strong, but it's weaker without Fox and Chytil, and a little less capable of fully exploiting Detroit's poor goaltending.
At the other end of the ice, Detroit's offense has cooled down considerably from its hot start, making the Rangers' task a lot easier.
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