New York Rangers vs Florida Panthers Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 01/02/26

The 2026 Winter Classic features the New York Rangers battling the Florida Panthers at LoanDepot Park in Miami. Despite both New York and Florida having some offensive inconsistencies this season, they should be able to total at least 6 goals in this one. New York’s offensive woes this season are well-documented, but the Rangers got a huge boost with the return of star defenseman Adam Fox earlier this week. Fox missed more than a month with an upper body injury, and provided an immediate boost by scoring a goal and dishing out an assist on New Year’s Eve against the Capitals. He has 28 points in 28 games this season, and could lead the Rangers to a solid offensive effort in this one. There’s also a possibility that J.T. Miller returns, which would be another positive for New York.

On the other side, the Panthers have been in plenty of high-scoring games this season. Florida ranks 12th in the league averaging 3.12 goals per game, and the over is a strong 22-17 in their 39 games so far this season. New York goaltender Igor Shesterkin has allowed 3+ goals in 7 of his last 9 games, and owns a goals-against average above 3.00 in 8 career games against the Rangers. It’s also worth mentioning that the retractable roof at LoanDepot Park will be closed at the start of the game, but is slated to open up at some point throughout the contest. That could potentially cause some depth perception issues for both goaltenders. Consider the over.

Rangers vs Panthers prediction: Over 5.5 (-115) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.

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