Don't Let Game 1 Sway You From Betting UNDER in Penguins-Rangers Game 2

The Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers are set to play in Game 2 of their opening round series on Thursday night.

The first game between the two has been the most exciting (and longest) of the NHL Playoffs so far. It was tied 3-3 at the end of regulation, and stayed that way until the 5:58 mark of triple overtime when Evgeni Malkin finally won it for the Penguins.

With seven goals being scored in that game, you may think the OVER 6 is a smart bet at -115. I would recommend that you take a step back, and consider the UNDER instead.

The UNDER 6 is available at -105 odds at WynnBET Sportsbook.

Rangers Are Top UNDER Team in 2021-2022 NHL Season

First of all, remember that the New York Rangers were the top UNDER team in the NHL this season. UNDERs hit at a rate of 59%, and that's even with sportsbooks adjusting to their team and setting the large majority of them at 5.5. The UNDER finished at 48-33-2 for the Rangers.

The main reason for that UNDER record is that their starting goaltender, Igor Shesterkin, has been phenomenal all season. He had a 2.07 goals against average, and a .935 save percentage. Despite allowing four goals in Game 1, Shesterkin still had 83 saves for a save percentage of .952.

Finally, don't let the fact that the Penguins are starting Louis Domingue in net convince you that we'll see a ton of goals. He's had a solid save percentage of .905 throughout his career, but has been plagued by playing for bad teams. In two starts for the Penguins this season, he had a .952 save percentage and then stopped all 17 shots he saw when he was took over in Game 1.

Don't let the final score of the previous game fool you. If I were betting on the total, I'd certainly go with the UNDER 6 at -105.

You can track Iain's bets on Betstamp here.