New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction & Odds - 12/06/2024

The New York Rangers welcome the Pittsburgh Penguins to Madison Square Garden on Friday night in what promises to be a compelling Metropolitan Division matchup with significant playoff implications.

Recent history between these teams heavily favors the Rangers, who have claimed victory in seven of their last ten meetings, including a dominant 6-0 win in their most recent encounter.

The Penguins enter the contest riding a four-game winning streak, most recently securing a 5-4 overtime victory against the Florida Panthers, while the Rangers look to bounce back from a disappointing 5-1 home loss to the New Jersey Devils.

Both teams' offensive capabilities will be under scrutiny, with the Rangers averaging 3.17 goals per game this season compared to the Penguins' 2.81, though Pittsburgh's recent surge has shown their scoring potential.

The goaltending battle could prove decisive, as Igor Shesterkin (8-9-1, .908 save percentage) is expected to face off against Alex Nedeljkovic (4-4-3, .883 save percentage) in what could be a game-defining matchup.

With the Rangers holding an impressive 11-win record in their last 20 home games and the Penguins struggling on the road with seven losses in their previous ten away matches, this Metropolitan Division showdown shapes up as a critical test for both teams' aspirations this season.

New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins prediction: who will win?

For tonight's Rangers vs Penguins matchup, our predictive model gives the Rangers a 53.33% chance of defeating the Penguins.

New York Rangers: 53.33% win probability

• Better defensive record (70 goals against vs Penguins' 104)
• Higher league position (8th vs 10th in Eastern Conference)
• Superior goal differential (-6 vs Penguins' -27)

Pittsburgh Penguins: 46.67% win probability

• Poor defensive record (104 goals against, among worst in league)
• Negative goal differential (-27, indicating consistent defensive struggles)
• Lower points total (26 points in 27 games vs Rangers' 27 in 24 games)

At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.