Red Wings vs. Rangers Odds
| Red Wings Odds | +170 |
| Rangers Odds | -210 |
| Over / Under | 6 -115/ -105 |
Here's everything you need to know about Red Wings vs Rangers on Wednesday, Nov. 29 — our expert NHL prediction and pick.
On Wednesday in midtown Manhattan, the New York Rangers will host the Detroit Red Wings for the second time in just over three weeks.
The Red Wings won't have new acquisition Patrick Kane in the lineup just yet, and they'll also be missing their captain, Dylan Larkin, due to injury. After falling flat against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, the Rangers should be buoyed by the return of Adam Fox as they wrap up their three-game homestand.
Detroit has been playing well, but the roster adjustments on both sides skew this matchup decidedly in favor of the home side.
Read on to learn why you should expect a dominant performance from the Blueshirts in my Red Wings vs. Rangers preview and prediction below.
Detroit Red Wings
The Red Wings only brought one of a possible four points home from Sweden, but they've won three straight games since their return and given up just three goals.
After biding his time on the sidelines since signing as a free agent on July 1, Alex Lyon has played hero like he did when he helped Florida reach the playoffs last spring, delivering wins over New Jersey and Minnesota. Ville Husso also anchored the character victory over the powerful Boston Bruins.
While the NHL world was abuzz on Tuesday with the news that Patrick Kane would be donning the Winged Wheel as he works his way back from hip resurfacing surgery, some real-time injury and roster issues are holding up the official contract signing.
Larkin has been ruled out with an undisclosed injury, so the Red Wings have recalled Jonatan Berggren from the AHL's Grand Rapids Griffins. Defenseman Justin Holl is also questionable, which puts the Wings at their maximum 23-player roster limit.
The Wings are heading into a back-to-back set, also playing Thursday in Chicago, so Husso gets the nod in net at MSG. He's 7-3-1 for the year, and while his save percentage is only .888, Husso may be operating on 'dad strength.' He flew back early from Sweden to be with his wife when she gave birth to their first child on Nov. 13.
As a team, the Red Wings have been dangerous offensively. They're averaging 3.70 goals per game, and their power play is among the top 10 in the NHL. However, they'll miss Larkin, their leading scorer, who has tallied 13 of his 21 points with the man advantage.
The Red Wings are below average at 5-on-5, controlling 47.80% of Expected Goals. That number has remained consistent through the recent winning streak, when five of their 15 goals came on the power play.
New York Rangers
At 15-4-1, the Rangers sit in a three-way tie for top spot in the NHL heading into Tuesday's games — a strong testament to Peter Laviolette's work since he took over behind the bench this fall. Artemi Panarin is among the league's scoring leaders, and he and Chris Kreider both have at least 11 goals.
But New York has really shone under Laviolette on the back end. The Rangers' 2.45 goals allowed per game are the third-fewest amount in the league, thanks in large part to stellar goaltending, not just by 2022 Vezina Trophy winner Igor Shesterkin but also resurgent graybeard Jonathan Quick.
With Laviolette's reputation as a defense-first coach, you might expect the Rangers to have a strong possession game, but the numbers don't bear that out. At 5-on-5, their Expected Goals Share is just average, at 49.14%.
The Rangers are coming off an ugly 5-1 home loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Monday, but they have not lost two in a row all year.
They did, however, lose forward Kaapo Kakko to injury on Monday night. Both he and fellow kid-liner Filip Chytil were assigned to long-term injured reserve on Tuesday, while forwards Jonny Brodzinski and Adam Edstrom were recalled from AHL Hartford.
There's also some good injury news: after missing the last 10 games with a lower-body injury, 2021 Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox has been activated from injured reserve and is expected to suit up on Wednesday.
Red Wings vs. Rangers
Betting Pick & Prediction
Despite the Rangers' stumble against the Sabres on Monday, the betting markets still favor the home side against the Red Wings by a wide margin. At about -200 on the moneyline on most sites as of Tuesday afternoon, the Blueshirts' implied odds of winning sit around 67%.
Despite Detroit's recent hot streak, that line makes sense. While the Rangers have comported themselves well during Fox's injury absence, it's a major boost to get him back. The fact that they haven't lost back-to-back games this season also looms large, and Dylan Larkin's absence could dent Detroit's power-play productiveness.
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The Rangers took care of the Red Wings by a 5-3 score at MSG back on Nov. 7. This game may not feature as many total goals, but a multi-goal win looks achievable for the home side.
Pick: Rangers Puckline -1.5 (+130 at Caesars | Play to +115)
