This article is part of our NHL Picks series.
NHL Picks for January 25: Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
The New York Rangers (26-14-7) travel to meet the Toronto Maple Leafs (29-11-8) at Scotiabank Arena on Wednesday night.
This is the second of three regular-season meetings between these Original Six teams. The Rangers picked up a 3-1 win over the Maple Leafs on Dec. 15, as Igor Shesterkin outdueled Matt Murray in a low-scoring affair.
The Rangers have alternated wins and losses in the past five outings, picking up a 6-2 victory at Madison Square Garden against the Florida Panthers as the Over cashed. That was the first Over after four Under results.
The Maple Leafs registered a 5-2 win against the skidding New York Islanders on Monday night, and the Buds have picked up at least a point in four consecutive outings, going 3-0-1. Since Jan. 5, Toronto has managed a 6-1-1 mark in the previous eight contests.
Shesterkin (21-8-6, 2.44, .918 SV%, 1 SO) is projected to get the nod against the Leafs, with Toronto expected to counter with Ilya Samsonov (15-4-2, 2.21 GAA, .920 SV%, 2 SO). Murray has cooled off a little in January, going 2-2-0 with a 3.69 GAA and .883 SV%, and he lost the first meetings with the Blueshirts.
In the first meeting, Filip Chytil opened the scoring with a power-play goal early on, before Michael Bunting responded for the Leafs. Jimmy Vesey served as the unlikely hero, notching the game-winning goal at 15:33 of the second period, while tacking on an insurance marker into the empty-net to put a bow on the scoring.
The Rangers have picked up 12 wins in the past 17 trips to Toronto, and they're 5-1 in the past six meetings overall. The underdog is also 5-1 in the past six in the series, so take a chance on the Rangers based on the series trends.
NHL Moneyline Bets for Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
- Rangers ML (+140 at BetRivers)
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Shesterkin and Samsonov are humming along, and goals should be at a premium in this battle in Hogtown.
The Under is 4-1 in the past five games overall for the Rangers, while going 19-9-1 in the past 29 games on the road, while cashing at a 20-8-1 pace in the past 29 games against Atlantic Division foes.
For the Leafs, the Under is 15-7 in the past 22 games against teams with a winning overall record, and the Under is 4-0 in the past four outings following a victory for Toronto.
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NHL Totals Bets for Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
- Under 6 (+100 at BetMGM)
NHL Player Props for Rangers vs. Maple Leafs
For player props, there are a couple of red-hot skaters to focus upon in this Original Six battle.
New York's K'Andre Miller has racked up three goals and nine points in the past nine games, although he is scoreless in the past two contests. He had an assist with a plus-1 rating in the first meeting against Toronto on Dec 15, and at plus-money he is a good bet here.
- K'Andre Miller Over 0.5 Points (+120 at FanDuel)
As far as the home side is concerned, William Nylander is worth a look for a chance to nearly double up. He has managed three power-play assists across the past seven games, and four goals with five assists during his current four-game point streak.
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- William Nylander Over 1.5 Power-Play Points (+188 at FanDuel)
