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The Blues and the Islanders meet in New York! These two teams have been very inconsistent this season, and a win here would be huge for each team. We continue our NHL odds series with a Blues-Islanders prediction and pick.
The St. Louis Blues were inconsistent last year and missed the playoffs. They seem like they could be a better team this season, but they have looked about the same so far. Robert Thomas was the biggest key player on the team last season, but this season, Jordan Kyrou has been the main standout. The Blues have potential, but they need to get out of their own way, which could start in this game.
The Islanders were a solid team last year and made the playoffs before losing in the first round. However, they have struggled to find consistency this season. Kyle Palmieri is the key for this team, and he leads in most of the important offensive categories. They have the talent to return to the playoffs but are spiraling, losing four of their last five games. They can bounce back in this game, too.
Here are the Blues-Islanders NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Blues-Islanders Odds
St. Louis Blues: +1.5 (-188)
Moneyline: +130
New York Islanders: -1.5 (+152)
Moneyline: -156
Over: 5.5 (+140)
Under: 5.5 (-112)
How To Watch Blues vs Islanders
Time: 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT
TV: ESPN+/MSG Networks/FanDuel Sports Network Midwest
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Blues Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Blues were solid on defense last season. They allowed 3.02 goals per game and had a 91.3% save percentage. So far this season, the defense has fallen off a cliff, allowing 3.38 goals per game, and they have an 89% save percentage. The defense all comes down to the duo of Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer at goalie.
Binnington won 28 games and lost 21 out of 57 last season, allowing 2.84 goals per game with a 91.3% save percentage. Hofer had 15 wins and 12 losses, allowing 2.65 goals per game with a 91.4% save percentage. This season, Binnington is 6-8 and allows 3.10 goals per game with an 88.8% save percentage, while Hofer is 3-3 and allows 3.40 goals per game and has an 89.3% save percentage. The Blues had a lot of potential on defense, but they are struggling and might be unable to get it back on track.
The Blues' offense struggled last season and was very inconsistent. They scored 2.85 goals per game and had a 9.9% shooting percentage on goal. In comparison, this season, they are massively struggling, only scoring 2.43 goals per game and having a 9.3% shooting percentage.
The offense has been balanced this season, but Jordan Kyrou has been the key. He leads the team in points with 18, goals with five, and assists with seven this season. This offense needs more from the rest of the team outside of Kyrou. This team had potential at the start, but the inconsistency has hurt them, and it remains to be seen if they can turn it around on offense.
Why the Islanders Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Islanders were one of the better teams in the NHL last season, advancing to the postseason. Their offense was solid, scoring 2.99 goals per game and having a 9.9% shooting percentage. In comparison, this season, they are scoring 2.45 goals per game and have an 8.2% shooting percentage, and they are struggling. Their offensive production has fallen off a cliff recently.
The offense has depth, with Matthew Barzal leading last year with 80 total points and Brock Nelson leading in goals at 34. This season, Kyle Palmieri has been a difference-maker. He leads the team in points at 16, goals at seven, and assists at nine.
The Islanders' defense was solid last season. They allowed 3.15 goals per game and had a 91.1% save percentage. This season, they are still solid, allowing 2.90 goals and having a 91% save percentage. Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov made up a great dynamic duo at goalie last season for the Islanders.
Sorokin had 25 wins in 56 games, allowed 3.01 goals per game, and had a 90.9% save percentage. This season, Sorokin has four wins and five losses in 12 games. He allows 2.64 goals per game with a 91.4% save percentage. Varlamov had 14 wins in 28 games and allowed 2.60 goals per game while having a 91.8% save percentage. This season, He has three wins and three losses in eight games. He also has 2.60 goals per game with a 90.3% save percentage. This defense
Final Blues-Islanders Prediction & Pick
These two teams have been extremely inconsistent, but the Islanders have been spiraling more recently. This game comes down to the two stars of Kyrou and Palmieri because, with two teams that have struggled with consistency, those two have been the most consistent aspects of each team. This should be a close game where the Islanders eventually win, but expect the Blues to cover on the road and keep things close.
Final Blues-Islanders Prediction & Pick: St. Louis Blues +1.5 (-188)
