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Fresh from defeating city rivals the Islanders, the New York Rangers will host the Washington Capitals at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday. Both teams have won their most recent matches and will approach the Metropolitan Division showdown with confidence. We tell you the best NHL betting picks in our Rangers vs. Capitals preview.
- What: NHL
- Who: New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals
- Where: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
- When: Wednesday, March 5th, 2025
- Time: 7.30 p.m ET
The New York Rangers hold a 31-26-4 record this season. They are 10-9-0 in Metropolitan play.
The Rangers sit fifth in the Metropolitan Division on 66 points from 61 matches. They have a goal differential of +4, having scored 187 and conceded 183.
The Washington Capitals boast an overall record of 39-14-8 and are 13-4-0 record in Metropolitan Division play.
The Capitals are top of the Metropolitan Division with 86 points from 61 matches. They have a 12-point lead over the second-placed Carolina Hurricanes.
Washington has a goal differential of +59. They have scored 220 and conceded 161. The Capitals are the highest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference.
Wednesday night’s showdown will be the third time the two teams have met this season. The Capitals won the first match 5-3 in October and the second match 7-4 in January. Both clashes were at Washington’s Capital One Arena home.
Now let’s take a look and see what the chance the bookmakers are giving the Rangers of getting a first win over their Metropolitan Division rivals this season.
New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals Betting
The best NHL betting sites are struggling to separate the two teams. Both the Rangers and the Capitals are -110 to win on the money line.
The Capitals are receiving the 1.5-point start on the handicap. Washington is -270 to win on the puck line. The Rangers are +220 to win by two goals or more and cover the spread.
The total points spread is 5.5 goals. Over is the favorite at -120. Under is +100.
We have plenty more New York Rangers vs. Washington Capitals wagering options from the best NHL betting online sites, below. You can read more about the sites, and learn about betting on the NHL on our How to Bet on Hockey Online page.
| Rangers vs. Capitals |  |  |  |
| Rangers | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Capitals | -110 | -110 | -110 |
| Rangers (-1.5) | +220 | +220 | +220 |
| Capitals (+1.5) | -270 | -270 | -270 |
| Over 5.5 | -120 | -120 | -120 |
| Under 5.5 | +100 | +100 | +100 |
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are 7-3-0 in their ten most recent matches. Over the run, they have averaged 3.5 goals per game and conceded 2.5 goals per game.
New York is on a winning streak of two. The wins both came at Madison Square Garden. Peter Laviolette’s team defeated the Predators 4-0 on Sunday and they backed that win up by defeating the Islanders 4-0 on Monday.
The Rangers are too far behind in the table to have a chance of winning the Metropolitan Division. They are +30000 to pull off what would have to be the biggest comeback in the history of the NHL.
The Rangers are +2000 to win the Eastern Conference and +4000 to win the Stanley Cup.
Following their clash with the Capitals, New York will travel north of the border to face the Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals have a ten-match record of 5-3-2. Spencer Carbery’s team has scored an average of 4.1 goals per game and conceded an average of 3.4.
The Capitals ended a three-match losing skid with a 5-4 shootout win over the Senators on Monday. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and two assists in the much-needed win at the Capital One Arena.
In their previous three matches, Washington had lost to the Flames (3-1), the Blues (5-2), and the Lightning (3-1). All three of the defeats came at the Capital One Arena.
Despite the three defeats in their last four matches, Washington is still -2500 to win the Metropolitan Division. Their 12-point lead in the points table is obviously playing a large part in those odds.
The Capitals are +450 to win the Eastern Conference and +900 to win the Stanley Cup.
Following their trip to Madison Square Garden, the Capitals will return home to take on the Red Wings on Friday.
Given their recent poor form at home, Spencer Carbery would probably have preferred a run of road trips for his underperforming team.
Rangers vs. Capitals Betting Picks and Predictions
The Rangers are 16-13-2 at home this season, and Washington is 20-7-2 on the road.
The New York Rangers are the team in better form in recent days. Not only have they won their last two, but they have also won four of their last five, scoring 20 goals over the five matches.
It is hard to bet against the Capitals, though. Spencer Carbery’s team has been outstanding this season. They score for fun and have probably been the most entertaining team to watch in the NHL in recent months.
With the match too close to call, our betting pick is over 5.5 goals on the total line. But if you want a match-winner pick, the Rangers are in better form.
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