New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction: Expect a Total Over

Prediction for the NHL New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins match, which will take place on May 16. Check the team conditions and choose several betting options.

The Rangers are close to reaching the second round of the Stanley Cup for the first time in five years. The New York club was widely regarded as the clear favorite to begin their encounter with Pittsburgh, but they failed to make the opening game. They won (3:4 and 5:2) at Madison Square Garden and then suffered considerable losses in Pennsylvania (4:7 and 2:7). The situation motivated the Blues and Reds, who cheered up and won the next two games by the same score of 5:3, taking the series back to New York for their seventh battle.

Pittsburgh had an uneven regular season, finishing only seventh in the East, so they were already trapped in the first round by the mighty Rangers. Moreover, the Penguins were without their two starting goaltenders, and then Sidney Crosby got injured. The Penguins were winning 3:1 at the end of the four games and were a step away from qualifying for the next round, but the enormous personnel problems could not help but affect their performance. In their last two games, the Black and Yellow resisted as hard as they could but suffered two straight defeats with a score of 3:5.

The Rangers and Pittsburgh took the clash to a decisive seventh game, with the Blue Jackets once again the clear favorites. Two wins in a row gave them not only a home-court advantage but also a significant psychological benefit. In the meantime, the Penguins continue to suffer from huge personnel losses, and the possible return of Sidney Crosby to the lineup does not guarantee that he will be in perfect condition. So, we suggest betting on a Rangers win for 2.175.

The opponents have combined for 50 goals (8.33 per game average) in the previous six games, which is incredibly high for the NHL playoffs. Despite the decisive status of the seventh meeting, we suggest betting on a total over 6.5 for 2.32.

Mika Zibanejad scored 81 points (29 goals + 52 assists) in 81 games and was one of the top scorers for the club. The Swede finally demonstrated his level in the sixth game, notching two goals and two assists. There's no doubt that he'll be noticeable in the seventh game, too, so it's worth looking at Mika Zibanejad's Total Over 0.5 for 1.50.

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