NHL weekend best bets: Rangers to rebound vs. Sharks
With just one NHL game scheduled for Friday, we're looking at a very tame start to the weekend.
It's not a side or a total that stands out in that affair but rather a player prop.
Let's dive into that plus a side for Saturday night.
Trevor Moore over 2.5 shots (-150)Nov. 18, 10 p.m. ET
Trevor Moore is one of the NHL's more underrated shot-generators. He's not flashy and doesn't put up gaudy point totals, but he consistently gets the puck on net.
The 27-year-old has registered 30 shots on goal over the last 10 games, which is good for first on the Kings.
What I like about Moore is that the volume is nearly the same every night. There aren't really ceiling games mixed in to inflate the overall numbers. He does just enough to get the job done every night.
Moore has gone over this total in six of his last nine games, falling just a puck short in all three losses. He always gives you a fighting chance.
The Canucks have had their share of defensive issues this season and are one of the league's worst sides at suppressing shots against left-wingers. I like Moore's chances of going over for the seventh time in 10 games.
Note: I also like Bo Horvat over 2.5 in this game. He has hit in eight of the last nine games and is playing 20-plus minutes every night. If you were to parlay the two at +170, I'd see value in that as well.
Rangers (TBD) @ Sharks (TBD)Nov. 19, 10:30 p.m. ET
The Rangers are off to a very disappointing start to the campaign. Showered with praise and expectation following a lengthy playoff run, the expectation was that New York would pick up where it left off and be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference.
Fast forward more than 20% into the season and the Rangers have won just eight of 18 games. They're barely clinging to the final wild-card spot as a result.
Their struggles largely trace back to two things: shooting woes and Jaroslav Halak.
A season ago, they ranked 10th in shooting percentage. Led by their stars, the Rangers converted on their chances at a high clip. This season - with the same core group - they rank 26th in shooting percentage. If they fared a little better in that regard, we'd probably be looking at a couple more wins.
Halak, meanwhile, owns an .883 save percentage and has lost every start he's made. If he was above .900 and trimmed an extra goal or two off, that could also be an extra win.
There's still a lot to like about these Rangers. They rank fifth in shot share and expected goal share, below only top teams like the Devils, Golden Knights, and Hurricanes.
Even though regression has hit Igor Shesterkin a little bit, he's still 8-2-2 on the year. The Rangers get results almost every time he's between the pipes.
San Jose has hung in surprisingly well at five-on-five, but I see the Rangers having an edge there. They should also have an advantage between the pipes. They don't play again until Tuesday, which means they can comfortably start Shesterkin without running him into the ground and taking away the opportunity for rest.
Look for a desperate Rangers team to go into San Jose and get a win against its old bench boss.
Bet: Rangers (expected line: -140)
Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.
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