NHL picks: Penguins vs. Rangers odds, prediction for Opening Night on Tuesday, Oct. 7
Pittsburgh and New York look to get back to the playoffs in 2025-26. Check out some of our best bets for NHL's Opening Night
The 2025-26 NHL season begins on Tuesday, Oct. 7 with the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the New York Rangers in primetime, with puck drop set for 8 p.m. ET on ESPN. Both the Penguins and Rangers are attempting to get back to the postseason after missing the playoffs in 2024-25. If you're interested in NHL betting and looking to get the latest Penguins vs. Rangers odds and predictions, check out the SportsLine Projection Model.
Pittsburgh brings back its dynamic duo of Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, who have won three Stanley Cup titles together. Even though they are in the final stages of their careers, they remain one of the most potent scoring duos in the league. Crosby logged 91 points to lead the Penguins a season ago, while Malkin tallied 50 in an injury-plagued campaign. At DraftKings Sportsbook, Crosby is +180 to find the back of the net. Malkin is +310 to score.
The Rangers went to the conference finals in 2023-24 but failed to recapture that magic last season. Artemi Panarin returns for New York looking for a third-straight 35+ goal campaign. He's +150 to score in Tuesday's contest. The Rangers will look to Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck to take another step forward and support Panarin, though the problem for New York was in defense. The Rangers were 12th in goals scored a year ago but had just a +1 goal differential.
The SportsLine Projection Model lists the Rangers as -255 favorites (wager $255 to win $100) in the latest consensus odds while the Penguins are +184 underdogs (wager $100 to win $184). The total comes in at 6. For the latest model projections and expert picks for Penguins vs. Rangers, visit SportsLine.
Here's a look at the model's picks for Penguins vs. Rangers on Tuesday, Oct. 7.
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS at NEW YORK RANGERS | 10/7 | 8 p.m. ET
Money line
Pick: Penguins +184
Pittsburgh wins in 49% of simulations, bringing value at these odds
Puck line
Pick: Penguins +1.5 (-139)
Pittsburgh covers in 75% of simulations
Over/Under
Pick: Under 6
The Under hits in 62.2% of simulations
Projected score: Rangers 3.0, Penguins 2.9
