The New York Rangers (6-5-3) head to the Motor City to take on the Detroit Red Wings (7-3-3) Thursday at Little Caesars Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+).

The Rangers have lost 3 straight games, 1 of which was to these same Red Wings by a 3-2 mark in overtime at Madison Square Garden Sunday. They’ve been in each of the games, but they just haven’t been able to break through at crucial moments. LW Artemi Panarin (4 goals, 15 assists) is tied for 5th in the league with 19 points.

The Red Wings have won 3 of their last 4 games and 4 of their last 6. They are in 2nd place in the Atlantic Division on the heels of some great goaltending. The moves they made in the offseason have really solidified their roster. LW Dominik Kubalik was a quiet move, and he leads the team with 6 goals and 10 assists.

Rangers at Red Wings odds

• Moneyline (ML): Rangers -155 (bet $155 to win $100) | Red Wings +125 (bet $100 to win $125)
• Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rangers -1.5 (+150) | Red Wings +1.5 (-190)
• Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -135 | U: +107)

Rangers at Red Wings projected goalies

Igor Shesterkin (6-2-2, 2.58 GAA, .910 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Ville Husso (5-1-2, 1.86 GAA, .941 SV%, 2 SO)

Shesterkin has hit a rough patch, losing 2 straight at home and allowing 4 goals in each. He was great against Detroit last season, although the Red Wings are vastly improved this year. Shesterkin went 1-0-1 with a 0.96 GAA and .962 SV% over 2 starts vs. Detroit in 2021-22.

Husso has been masterful in his new uniform as he’s 2nd in GAA and 3rd in SV% in the entire league. He’s 2-0-1 with a 0.97 GAA and .967 SV% in 3 November starts.  He was 1-1-0 with a 3.08 GAA and .895 SV% in 2 starts against the Rangers last season.

Rangers at Red Wings picks and predictions

Prediction

Red Wings 4, Rangers 2

Moneyline

I expect a concerted effort from the Rangers, but Detroit gets it done at home, where it is 5-1-2. New York simply isn’t scoring enough, and they appear to have a lack of cohesiveness on the ice right now.

Take DETROIT (+125).

Puck line/Against the spread

This will require an empty-netter, but I like Detroit to secure a 2-goal victory. Five of Detroit’s 7 wins on the season have been by 2 or more. Four of Husso’s 5 wins have been by 2 or more. Let’s take a chance and drop a HALF-UNIT on the ALTERNATE SPREADRED WINGS -1.5 (+310).

Over/Under

The Over is 4-1 in the Rangers’ last 5 vs. a team with a winning record. There are a lot of Under trends for Detroit, but honestly, throw those out of the window. This is a playoff-caliber team if they remain healthy. It’s possible it could be a 2-1 nailbiter, but Detroit has posted 3 goals in 4 of its last 5 contests. Again, it’ll probably require an empty-netter, but LEAN OVER 5.5 (-135).