Rangers vs. Blue Jackets odds, picks: Fanatics Sportsbook promo code for NHL
Neither the Rangers nor Blue Jackets thought they’d be fighting for a playoff spot this deep into the 2024-2025 season.The Rangers were considered a Stanley Cup contender after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last spring, while the Blue Jackets were priced as one of the biggest long shots to make the playoffs in the entire NHL.None of that matters now. The Blue Jackets and Rangers are tied with 70 points going into Saturday’s encounter at Nationwide Arena, and whoever wins the contest will leave the arena in the pole position for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.The Blueshirts are a -146 favorite in Columbus for this pivotal matchup.Are we backing the Rangers in this pivotal matchup? Find out the answer to that question and check out an exclusive Fanatics Sportsbook promo below.Fanatics Sportsbook is offering new users a $1,000 No Sweat First Bet sign-up bonus or a bet $30 and receive $300 in bonus bets promotion.Believe it or not, there are a lot of similarities between the Rangers and Blue Jackets this season.Neither side was all that convincing in the first three months of the campaign, but they’re back on the plu side of the ledger thanks to improvements since New Year’s Day.The Rangers are 16-9-5 since the calendar turned, while the Blue Jackets are 15-10-2. It’s not just their records that are similar, either.Both the Blueshirts and Blue Jackets are getting their results despite some shaky play at 5-on-5, especially on defense. The Rangers rank 27th overall in preventing high-danger scoring chances since Jan.1, while the Jackets are just a smidge better in 26th. What works for both of these teams is that they have goaltenders in good form and offenses that have enough firepower to outscore their defensive misgivings.If you covered up the names of these two teams and just looked at the numbers, you’d have a hard time finding bettors who would want to lay the wood with the road favorite in what looks to be a pretty close matchup...