The moment many of us have waited for has just about arrived. Yes, the NHL season starts Tuesday night with three games all airing on ESPN starting at 5:30 pm ET and continuing after Midnight. Our focus will be on the middle game between the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. That one gets underway at approximately 8:00 pm ET. Penguins vs Rangers bets seek to get the season off to a good start.
Yes, it is nice to see the games that count. Now, keep in mind again there will be that Olympic Break in February. That will be almost three weeks. Already, there is a debate that Russian players figure to have an unfair advantage due to rest. Russia is still not allowed to participate in any IIHF sanctioned events. Anyway, let us get back to the matter at hand – NHL hockey!
The 2025-2026 NHL season expects to be a wild ride. Our goal is to try and help things along and get everyone ready for what is to come. Eight plus months of the coolest game on Earth works for us.
Do remember to again examine all those Vegas Stanley Cup odds for 2025-26. Now, let us start with the moneyline for this game at Madison Square Garden. Opening nights are always different. Let’s dig into the details.
Penguins vs Rangers bets lead off with the moneyline. Mike Sullivan gets to coach against his former team. Sullivan won two Stanley Cups with Sidney Crosby and the Penguins. He knows them well. He understands what makes them tick. Can Sullivan get the Rangers to play back at the high tempo we saw two seasons ago? New York scored 278 goals that year ranking seventh in the league.
Last year was a disaster in every way as the Rangers went from Stanley Cup contenders to missing the playoffs completely. Some believe the boomerang will bounce right back while others are hesitant. One thing is more certain. The Pittsburgh Penguins are more of a mess. Erik Karlsson is still on the team along with Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang. The band is back together complete with Tristan Jarry in goal.
The big worry for the New York Rangers on Tuesday was the status of Artemi Panarin and J.T. Miller. Thankfully both will play on Tuesday night. Both players were hampered by lower body injuries but are 100%. Igor Shesterkin draws a matchup that should be interesting. He needs the work
The Rangers have potential to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. With New York seeking to get off on the right foot err skate, expect the Rangers to be able to get the Garden crowd whipped up in a victory mood.
The New York Rangers, spread, and goal total are next. Like we mentioned above, the Penguins are a mess. Ironically, Sullivan had a role in this. Anyway, Dan Muse will not have an easy time with this roster. Tristan Jarry was up and down from the minors last year but is starting for now. Pittsburgh gave up 287 goals in 2024-25 which ranked 29th out of the 32 NHL teams.
During the summer, Sullivan seemed to focus more on getting back to the players’ coach mentality. He met with J.T Miller, Artemi Panarin, and most of the New York Rangers’ core players. It will be interesting to see what training camp truly meant. Miller and Panarin missed most of it with minor injuries. Sone of that was precautionary so the players would be well rested for the start of the season.
Rangers vs Penguins bets beg a few questions here. Can New York win by two or more goals on Tuesday night? Usually the two teams play it pretty close. New York has won seven of the previous nine meetings since 2023. Six of those seven victories were by two or more goals. More and more are beginning to come around on that being seven of eight.
Alas, there is always the goal total too. The Rangers Over 3.5 goals is still only -115 which surprised some and the spread is now +120. Both of these are not bad to pick on Tuesday night. Sullivan and the Rangers will be motivated even more than Sidney Crosby to get this win and win big.
So, what about a bet or two for the road? It is hard to believe that the long hockey offseason is finally over. There are two other games on Tuesday night. Florida raises their banner against the Chicago Blackhawks. Some have joked that the Los Angeles Kings and Colorado Avalanche may not get started until around 11:00 pm ET. That may be closer than people think.
Florida even without Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov have enough talent to get by Florida in what should be a very competitive affair. The game over there is only 5.5 (-120) which is surprising. That may be something to get in on before the total creeps up to 6.
Colorado expects not to have MacKenzie Blackwood in goal for the season opener and who knows how long. Anyhow, Los Angeles was one of the best teams at home last season. Expect that to continue on Tuesday night from the land of Kings.
Before making any bets, check out the latest NHL online Vegas odds. You definitely will see the most updated Vegas betting site bonuses too.
