Panthers vs Rangers Game 1 Prediction, Odds & Player Props (Wednesday, May. 22)

• The Florida Panthers and New York Rangers begin their Eastern Conference Final playoff series on Wednesday
• The Game 1 Panthers vs Rangers odds favor Paul Maurice’s team to secure the victory
• Read below for Panthers vs Rangers Game 1 prediction, odds, and player props

The 2024 NHL Eastern Conference between the Florida Panthers and New York Rangers gets underway on Wednesday, May 22nd. The puck will drop at 8pm EST from Madison Square Garden in New York, with ESPN carrying the broadcast nationally.

Oddsmakers are siding with the Panthers on the road, pricing the Cats as slight -115 road favorites over the Rangers at MSG. The over/under is listed at 5.5 for a duel between Igor Shesterkin and Sergei Bobrovsky.

Here is our Rangers vs Panthers Game 1 prediction, along with odds analysis and player prop picks.

Panthers vs Rangers Prediction

Florida is a heavy -150 favorite in the Panthers vs Rangers series odds, but their reduced price for Game 1 indicates oddsmakers aren’t overly confident they will take the first game. The Rangers are at home, after all, where they went 34-12 during the regular season.

We can’t help but be intrigued by New York’s home underdog price on Wednesday, especially considering how loud the building will be following the long layoff. The Panthers dropped Game 1 against Boston last round and are just 3-7 in Game 1’s since 2020.

ECF GAME DAY. pic.twitter.com/agZPHMGI9B

— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) May 22, 2024

The Rangers, meanwhile, won both Game 1’s of this postseason and are 4-0 in their last four playoff series openers. Furthermore, Igor Shesterkin is dialed in right now with a league-leading .923 save percentage. Sergei Bobrovsky, meanwhile, has underwhelmed with a .903 SV% this postseason.

We don’t argue that Florida should be favored, as the Cats took two of three regular-season meetings. They also have a 54.3 Corsi percentage compared to a 45.8 CF% for New York. However, the Rangers struck twice with the man advantage in the last two meetings and are 18-3 in playoff games in which they score a power-play goal (since 2020).

In the Panthers vs Rangers series opener, New York’s moneyline offers the best value. Shesterkin’s superb play gives the team upside in a building that is very difficult for opposing teams to win in.

NYR vs FLA Game 1 Pick:

• Rangers ML (-105)

Panthers vs Rangers Odds

The Game 1 odds for Rangers vs Panthers show New York as the slight -105 home underdog against the Cats. However, New York still has a greater than 50 percent implied chance (51.2%) to win based on these odds.

Florida is the favorite at -115, which gives the Cats an implied win probability of 53.5%. A $10 wager on the Panthers would return $8.70 if the bet wins, while a $10 bet on New York would net a $9.52 profit.

Florida is favored over New York because they reached the Conference Finals last season and are built to win in the postseason. They won the regular-season series and have superior possession metrics. However, this Game 1 line is tight due to New York’s home-ice advantage and goalie edge.

The over/under for Game 1 is set at 5.5, with equal -110 odds to the over and the under. This means the implied probability of the two teams combining for at least six goals is 52.4%, and the implied chance of the two teams combining for five goals or less is equivalent to 52.4%.

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Panthers vs Rangers Player Props

In the NHL Player props market, there is no heavy favorite to find the back of the net in Game 1. However, Sam Reinhart has the best odds of any player to score at +120.

NHL player prop odds as of May. 22 at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Chris Kreider sticks out as nice value to light the lamp in the series opener against Florida. The New York veteran is coming off a hat-trick performance against Carolina in which he fired seven shots on net.  In his last six Game 1’s, he’s found the back of the net in four of them.

Kreider was a factor against the Panthers during the regular season, finding twine in one of the two meetings that were played at MSG. He leads all active players with seven postseason goals and paces the league with 52 power-play tallies over the past three seasons.

Kreider should strike against a Cats squad that racked up the most penalties during the regular season. Even if the refs put their whistles away, Bobrovsky hasn’t exactly been unbeatable at even strength with a .916 playoff save percentage at five-on-five.

Rangers vs Panthers Prop Bet:

• Chris Kreider Anytime Goal (+160)