Once NHL betting odds are posted, the Rangers are a lock to be favored.

The Rangers have jumped out to an 8-3-1 start while the Islanders are tied with Toronto for the fewest wins in the NHL, going 1-4-5.

Last season, the Rangers went 5-1-0 against the Islanders and won all three meetings at Nassau Coliseum.

A bright spot early in the season for the Islanders was the play of John Tavares, the top overall pick in June’s draft. The 19-year-old center recorded three goals and four assists in his first six games, but he’s been held without a point in his last four.

Marian Gaborik has 10 goals on the season for the Rangers.

Get your NHL Odds in the Bodog Sportsbook!

The Blue Jays snapped their road skid with a 6-3 victory in the opener of this series Monday, then routed the Rangers 9-0 on Tuesday night.

While the +143 underdog Blue Jays appear to be getting back on track, the Rangers have dropped six of nine.
Texas could use another strong outing from Kevin Millwood, although he is only 1-4 with a 6.25 ERA in eight career starts against Toronto.

The Blue Jays will hand the ball to Ricky Romero, who is making his first appearance against the Rangers.

Get all your MLB betting at Bodog.com!

Then there is Capitals enforcer Donald Brashear who was barred from a total of six games by the NHL for two transgressions, one before and one during Sunday's 5-3 Capitals victory.

It is hard to tell which team is under more pressure. Second-seeded Washington, because it has returned to the favorite's role now that the series is tied and the deciding game is at home? Or seventh-seeded New York, because it led the series 2-0 and 3-1 before being routed in Games 5 and 6? Get your NHL odds with Bodog now.

Washington has outshot, outscored and arguably outplayed New York over the balance of five games, but the Capitals' potent offense found its rhythm only in Game 3's 4-0 win.

The Rangers, likewise, haven't had much luck against Capitals rookie goaltender Simeon Varlamov, who is 1-2 in the series despite allowing only three goals in three games.

It seems like it is time for Alex Ovechkin to finally put his stamp on this series or the Caps could be facing a long summer vacation. Get your NHL odds with Bodog now.

The Caps can get even in the best-of-seven series in Game 4 tonight. Varlamov went 4-0-1 with a 2.37 goals-against average in the regular season, so there should be no surprise at how he is playing in this series.

Coming into the series, the seventh-seeded Rangers were the decided underdogs, but New York owned a clear advantage in goal where three-time Vezina Trophy finalist Henrik Lundqvist never has to worry about his starting status.

While Varlamov could be considered a good surprise, the Capitals aren't yet ready to say they've closed the gap on Lundqvist, who beat them 1-0 in Game 2. Get all your NHL betting in the Bodog Sportsbook.

The Rangers feel confident knowing that Lundqvist is behind him, but they have worked to make life easier for their goalie by blocking 50 shots in the series he didn’t have to worry about.

Simeon Varlamov, who finished with 23 saves in Game 2, has the upper hand to start in Game 3 for the Caps.

Of the 291 previous NHL playoffs series that started 2-0, 37 teams have come back from that deficit to win. The Rangers have blown only one of those leads in their history. Get all your online sports betting action in the Bodog Sportsbook now!

New York has a wide edge in goal with Henrik Lundqvist, a Vezina Trophy candidate the last three years, against Jose Theodore, despite his fine 32-17-5 record this season.

The Rangers are a defensive-oriented team and that might be enough to slow down offensive stars Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom. If you are looking for an upset in the East, this is probably your best bet.

Get your NHL odds with Bodog now.

The Rangers won the last matchup with the Flyers 4-1 at MSG on March 15, gaining a split of the season series. That victory is also part of New York's stretch of seven wins in eight home games.

Henrik Lundqvist has been key in that span, making every start with a 1.51 goals-against average. He made 24 saves to beat the Flyers on March 15, a night after he had 29 stops and lost 4-2 at Philadelphia.

Lundqvist is 1-3-1 with a 4.18 GAA in his last six starts against the Flyers. Get your NHL odds with Bodog now.

Henrik Lundqvist, who had allowed just three goals in his last three starts, stopped Sidney Crosby on a penalty shot but gave up three goals on 23 shots in a 3-0 loss.

The Rangers could use a scoring boost from Scott Gomez. The center has just eight goals in 42 games and none in six games since Jan. 5.

Ducks goalie Jonas Hiller recorded his team-leading fourth shutout of the season on Saturday with 30 saves, improving his record to 11-8-1 and his GAA to 2.09.

Despite New York's 14-8-2 record at MSG this season, you should not count out Anaheim. The Ducks are 5-1 in the last six meetings in New York. Get your hockey odds in the Bodog Sportsbook today.

A loss to San Jose on Nov. 16 stands as the Blackhawks' only home regulation loss this season. Since then, they have held a 33-9 scoring advantage in winning eight straight at the United Center and have allowed no more than three goals in any of those outings.

Keith, who was injured Wednesday night, is the anchor of the defense and the Blackhawks' leader in ice time.

Henrik Lundqvist is 4-1-0 with a 2.02 goals-against average in his last five starts for the Rangers. Bet on tonight's big game with Bodog's NHL betting.