The Ottawa Senators will be aiming to push the New York Rangers to the brink of elimination in their second-round series when they hit the ice in Game 4 on Thursday night as +150 underdogs on the NHL lines at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com.
Ottawa failed to overcome a slow start in Game 3, falling 4-1 to New York as a +148 road underdog, but maintains a 2-1 series lead going into Thursday night’s Senators versus Rangers betting matchup at Madison Square Garden.
The Senators looked to be in control of the series after handing New York a 6-5 loss in double-overtime in Game 2 and paying out as +103 home underdogs despite getting outshot by a 48-34 margin.
However, the Rangers quickly seized on Ottawa’s flat start on Tuesday night, outshooting the Senators by a 15-5 margin in the first frame and jumping out to a 2-0 lead they would not relinquish.
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Ottawa has now surrendered nine total goals over its past two contests after surrendering just six total markers in its previous four games. The Senators have also been outshot in three of their past four outings, reinforcing the position as underdogs which they have held in all but one game during this post-season.
The Senators have seen their odds on the NHL series prices reduced to -160 after rocketing to -350 following their Game 2 victory. However, they have shown marginal improvement on their Stanley Cup odds, sitting at +900 after entering the second round at +1000 to claim their first Stanley Cup title of the modern era.
The Rangers’ Game 3 win as -164 home chalk marks just their second victory of the post-season as betting favourites. New York has struggled in recent months when getting the nod at the sportsbooks, going 5-11 in its past 16 overall, but has shown signs of a turnaround while favoured on home ice, going 4-1 in its past five.
Tuesday’s victory also halted a three-game slide against the Senators, and marks the first time the Rangers have tallied consecutive home victories over Ottawa since 1997.
With four wins in their last six meetings at Madison Square Garden, the Rangers have effectively closed the door on a dismal decade-long run at home against Ottawa in which they went 7-15-2 in 24 meetings.
But New York will have to put the brakes on a four-game losing streak in Ottawa if they are to pay out on their current +140 odds on the NHL series prices at online sports betting sites.
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