NHL Winter Classic prediction: Odds, picks, best…
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There’s nothing that screams winter and ice hockey more than palm trees and checking the UV index.
That’s the irony we’re awaiting for the 2026 NHL Winter Classic at loanDepot Park in Miami on Friday. The out of doors tilt between the Rangers and Panthers can be performed in its warmest web site since the annual spectacle started in 2008.
It’s the first assembly between the Blueshirts and Cats this season. The Rangers stumble into it, struggling to maintain any kind of consistency, having dropped their last three video games and slipping additional toward the underside of the Eastern Conference, with a three-point margin separating them from the cut line.
The Panthers have made up for misplaced ground not too long ago after a torpid start, profitable 9 of their last 13 video games and now one level exterior the dance.
While both golf equipment have been underperformers, there may be still a bevy of star energy in this one. Here are my three best bets to goal for puck drop at 8 p.m. ET.
Vincent Trocheck Anytime Goal Scorer (+290, FanDuel)
The Rangers are 5-0-0 in out of doors video games. Their most latest installment got here when Trocheck potted a pair of objectives against the Islanders at MetLife Stadium two years in the past. It was Trocheck’s out of doors debut, and he completed the day with three factors to seal a wacky 6-5 comeback.
He’s been a fortifying presence since returning from an upper-body injury in November, racking up 9 objectives in 26 video games. Trocheck isn’t peppering the online as he averages only 1.7 pictures per recreation, though when he does discover capturing lanes, he’s beating the goaltender: Trocheck’s 18.8 % capturing clip ranks second on the roster.
There’s more stress on Trocheck to generate power-play success with J.T. Miller out of the lineup. He’s still looking for his first energy play rating, but he leads the Rangers as a five-on-five drive, producing 1.09 objectives per 60 according to MoneyPuck.
Trocheck has scored 9 objectives in 20 video games against his former group. He makes his dough between the dots with suggestions, rebounds, and fast snap pictures.
With Sergei Bobrovsky discovering more bother with high-danger scoring probabilities versus years past, Trocheck has upside on this stage.
Sam Reinhart #13 of the Florida Panthers makes his means to the ice before apply for the 2026 Discover NHL Winter Classic between the New York Rangers and the Florida Panthers at loanDepot park on January 01, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NHLI via Getty Images
Sam Reinhart Over 2.5 Shots on Goal (-115, FanDuel)
Reinhart is a constant quantity shooter, so this price isn’t unhealthy to web three pictures when he’s sizzling off back-to-back five-shot video games.
He’s firing 2.6 pictures per recreation with the group’s second-highest uncooked complete (104) and a scary 21.2 % capturing charge. In 33 profession video games against the Blueshirts, Reinhart has averaged 2.2 pictures on aim.
Reinhart is the ability play’s engine, main the group with seven objectives via his fast release from the slot and one-timers from the best circle. In all conditions, Reinhart ranks within the top-10 gamers in high-danger shot makes an attempt and anticipated objectives per MoneyPuck.
Betting on the NHL?
This Panthers group still dominates in puck possession metrics with its famously aggressive forecheck. The climate forecast is projected to contact temperatures in the high 60s, so with a sooner taking part in floor and cleaner puck motion, I can only see that propelling the membership’s most threatening shooter.
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Sean Treppedi handicaps the NFL, NHL, MLB and school soccer for the New York Post. He primarily focuses on picks that replicate market worth while monitoring trends to mitigate risk.
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