Subscribe
Follow Us
The New Jersey Devils will face the New York Islanders in Long Island in a battle between divisional rivals. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Devils-Islanders prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Devils lost 4-3 to the Florida Panthers on Monday night. Unfortunately, they struggled early, falling into a 2-0 hole. It was 4-0 in the third period when the Devils began a furious comeback. Sadly, they ran out of steam, losing 4-3. The Devils took 34 shots on goal and went 2 for 4 on the powerplay while also going 3 for 4 on the penalty kill. Also, they won 48 percent of their faceoffs. The Devils leveled 32 hits but only blocked nine shots.
The Islanders defeated the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Maddingly, it took one goal to win. Matthew Barzal provided that. Somehow, Ilya Sorokin only needed 14 saves in a shutout win. The Islanders took 34 shots while winning 66 percent of the faceoffs. Also, they went 1 for 3 on the powerplay and killed all three penalties they took. The Islanders also leveled 23 hits and blocked 14 shots.
The Islanders won the season series 2-1 in 2022-2023. Also, they have won 8 of 10 games in the series and 4 of 5 at home. Jack Hughes has five goals over 14 career games against the Islanders.
Akira Schmid will likely make the start today for the Devils. Likewise, Sorokin will go for the Islanders.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils vs. Islanders Odds
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (+202)
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-250)
Over: 5.5 (-130)
Under: 5.5 (+106)
How to Watch Devils vs. Islanders
Time: 7:40 PM ET/4:40 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Devils Will Cover The Spread
The one thing the Devils have struggled to do so far this season is play well early in the game. Unfortunately, it put them in a significant hole they could not climb out of. The offense has to start better. Ultimately, it falls on Hughes.
Hughes has two goals and four assists on 16 shots. Also, he has won 13 of his faceoffs but lost 29 draws. Hughes must do a better job in the faceoff circle. Then, he can get the puck over to Jesper Bratt, who has three goals and two assists while leveling eight hits. Erik Haula has also been good, with two goals and an assist. However, he is dealing with an upper-body injury and may not play today.
The defense still has some playmakers that are ready to produce. First, there is Dougie Hamilton, who has two goals and two assists. Jonas Siegenthaler has three assists while also delivering seven hits and blocking seven shots. Overall, this defense needs to block more shots and not allow the Islanders to get easy chances. Schmid will likely start and has a 2.272 goals-against average with a .909 save percentage. However, Vitek Vanecek is also an option, as he comes in with a 1-1 record and a save percentage of .892.
The Devils will cover the spread if they can get off to a better start. Likewise, the defense must prevent the Islanders from getting all these chances.
Why The Islanders Will Cover The Spread
The Islanders must learn to score better. Ultimately, one goal will not get it done against most times. They must discover someone who can score. Barzal got the only goal on Tuesday. Yet, the others did nothing.
Kyle Palmieri has one goal and one assist on seven shots with two hits. Yet, he is not one of the better scorers on this team, and the Islanders should not be counting on him for that production. Brock Nelson is one of the most inconsistent players in the NHL. Yet, he has one goal and one assist on seven shots and is a threat to score in every game. It also helps that he has won 11 faceoffs and lost only 13 draws. Meanwhile, Casey Cizikas has one goal on one shot while leveling four hits. Cizikas also has won 14 faceoffs and lost 13 draws.
But the heart of the team is Sorokin. Ultimately, he has two wins with a 1.00 goals-against average and a save percentage of .952. The Islanders rely on him too much. Yet, it is the reason they are successful.
The Islanders will cover the spread if the offense can get going. Then, they need another good game from Sorokin.
Final Devils-Islanders Prediction & Pick
Sorokin is amazing. Yet, he is not perfect, and the Devils have had mixed success against him, as he is 6-3 with a goals-against average of 2.23 with a save percentage of .926 in his career against them. Consider the fact that the over hit twice last year, and you might get a recipe for more goals. This feels like a 4-2 Islanders win or a 5-4 victory.
Final Devils-Islanders Prediction & Pick: Over: 5.5 (-130)
