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A pair of teams looking to secure a big-time win will face off on the ice as the New York Islanders take on the Edmonton Oilers. Join us for our NHL odds series where our Islanders-Oilers prediction and pick will come true.
Starting to find a rhythm out on the ice, the New York Islanders have come out victorious in four of their previous five games including a gritty road win over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday that resulted in a convincing 6-2 triumph. Now entering play with a 22-15-2 record, the Islanders are in business to march right along with their stellar brand of hockey this evening.
As for the Oilers, it wasn't long ago that Edmonton found themselves with a two-game winning streak and are now hoping they can avoid losing a third-consecutive matchup on Thursday. Nevertheless, Edmonton still appears to be right in the thick of the playoff race out west with a 20-17-2 record as they must stop the bleeding before it becomes too out of control.
Here are the Islanders-Oilers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Islanders-Oilers Odds
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-180)
Edmonton Oilers: -1.5 (+146)
Over: 6 (-122)
Under: 6 (+100)
*Watch Islanders & Oilers games LIVE with fuboTV (Click for free trial)*
Why The Islanders Could Cover The Spread
For starters, there is no questioning that the Islanders are red-hot at the moment. Even though New York saw their three-game winning streak come to an end in a road loss to Seattle, the Islanders showed off their impeccable resilience by bouncing back in a big way by scoring a whopping six goals on the Canucks. As a whole, the Islanders are more than capable of making life difficult for opposing teams when possessing the puck, and New York should do everything in their power to have a repeat of their previous performance.
In order for their offense to come alive like it did versus Vancouver, it will prove to be vital for the Islanders to be as strong on the power-play attack. At first glance, New York completed their last contest by posting a 50% success rate in converting with the extra-man advantage. While the bigger picture suggests that the Islanders have been far below-average with only 19% of their power-play opportunities, New York showed that they can get make teams pay when they make mistakes.
Other than the fact that converting on power-plays may be the difference in this one, look no further than the Islanders to take some notes from when these two teams last played that saw the Islanders come away with a decisive 3-0 shutout victory. In that victory, goalie Ilya Sorokin was on an absolute mission as he stood on his head for a 49-save gem. If Sorokin can play like he did in the first matchup even a little bit, then New York should be in fantastic position to cover.
Why The Oilers Could Cover The Spread
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Currently in the midst of a home-winning drought that has seen Edmonton go 0-4-1 at Rogers Place. In recent years' past, Edmonton has been a formidable opponent to best on their home ice, but they have been lackluster thus far this season on their home ice and must feed off their fans' energy to overcome the Islanders later tonight.
Not to mention, but the Oilers certainly have the pieces to come away with a covering of the spread. It all starts with Edmonton's top line on the ice which may be one of the more dynamic and explosive offensive attacks in all of the NHL. Of course, the Oilers are led by the exciting center in Connor McDavid and his otherworldly speed. Without a doubt, McDavid uses his swift nature to leave opposing skaters in the dust and has already recorded the most goals and overall points in the league. Even though the wins haven't come consistent enough up to this point, having McDavid alone on your side is good enough for the Oilers to find a way to cover.
In addition, the one major advantage that the Oilers have over the Islanders comes in the form of their power-play opportunities believe it or not. Unlike New York, Edmonton knows how to spell out trouble for the opposition as they convert on a league-high 32% of power-plays. On paper, New York is prone to commit a rash of penalties at time when they appear to have tired legs and get beat to the puck. While the Islanders keys to victory will be the improvement of their own penalty attack, the Oilers just need to go about things as usual and remain the aggressor.
Final Islanders-Oilers Prediction & Pick
One side is currently playing their best hockey of the season while the other would love nothing more to play more consistently as the season rages on. All in all, side with the Islanders ability to cover with their 23-16 record ATS.
Final Islanders-Oilers Prediction & Pick: Islanders +1.5 (-180)
How To Watch Islanders vs. Oilers
TV: NHLPP/ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 9:00 ET/6:00 PT
