The Anaheim Ducks start their road trip with a visit to Long Island for a showdown with the New York Islanders. We head to the UBS Arena to share our NHL odds series while making a Ducks-Islanders prediction and pick for Wednesday's game.

The Ducks lost 4-2 to the Winnipeg Jets in their last game on Sunday. Initially, it was scoreless in the second period when Alex Killorn delivered a powerplay goal. Adam Henrique put one past the goaltender to make it 2-0 in the third period. However, the collapse began a minute later as the Jets scored a quick goal. The Jets then tallied the game-tying goal later in the third, along with the go-ahead marker, before putting in an empty-net goal to seal the victory. Significantly, John Gibson made 27 saves but could not stop the shots that sealed his Ducks' fate. The Ducks lost despite winning 53 percent of their faceoffs. Furthermore, they went  1 for 2 on the powerplay and killed all five penalties.

The Islanders are coming off a 4-3 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Originally, it was 2-1 after the first period and 3-2 Islanders after the second. But they allowed Mroagn Rielly to tie the game with seven seconds left. Eventually, they won the game 46 seconds into overtime when Bo Horvat got one past Ilya Samsonov. Ilya Sorokin made 37 saves to preserve the win. Also, the Islanders made 29 shots. The Islanders won 46 percent of their faceoffs. Moreover, they went 0 for 1 on the powerplay and 0 for 1 on the penalty kill. The Islanders leveled 19 hits and blocked 16 shots.

The Islanders swept the Ducks last season and blew them out in both games, capsizing them by scores of 6-3 at Honda Center and 7-1 at home. Additionally, they have won four in a row in this series and covered the spread in 3 of 4 games. The Islanders are 5-3-2 over the past 10 games against the Ducks and 6-2-2 over the past 10 home games.

Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Ducks-Islanders Odds

Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-142)

New York Islanders: -1.5 (+118)

Over: 5.5 (-134)

Under: 5.5 (+110)

How to Watch Ducks vs. Islanders

Time: 7:40 PM ET/4:40 PM PT

TV: Bally Sports Southern California, Bally Sports San Diego, Madison Square Garden Spectrum and ESPN+

Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)

Why The Ducks Will Cover The Spread

The Ducks have not had a good month, as their great start has all but disappeared. Sadly, they even find ways to lose games where they are leading 2-0 in the third period. The offense has some issues, especially with injuries.

Frank Vatrano leads the Ducks with 14 goals and nine assists, including five powerplay markers. Ultimately, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, and Jaime Drysdale are all questionable to play, as all have missed games with injuries. The Ducks have Ryan Strome to help, and he has three goals and 14 assists while also winning 46 faceoffs and losing 61 draws. Meanwhile, Troy Terry has struggled this season and has five goals and 10 assists, including two powerplay markers. He has been part of a struggling offense that is 29th in goals and 29th in shooting percentage. However, they have been solid on the powerplay, ranking 14th on the extra-man attack.

John Gibson or Lukas Dostal will start this game, as this is a back-to-back. Significantly, Gibson is 5-12 with a 2.83 goals-against average and a save percentage of .906, while Dostal is 5-5 with a 3.95 goals-against average and a save percentage of .885. Overall, the Ducks are 21st in goals against and 14th on the penalty kill.

The Ducks will cover the spread if they can score early and also draw penalties. Furthermore, they need to stop taking penalties, especially five-minute penalty kills, which wear out their team.

Why The Islanders Will Cover The Spread

The Islanders keep rolling and are playing very well right now. Ultimately, they have executed well and will look to continue their roll as they hist the Ducks in front of a packed crowd at UBS.

Matthew Barzal leads the team with nine goals and 20 assists, including two snipes on the powerplay. Meanwhile, Noah Dobson has added five goals and 22 assists, including one conversion on the extra-man attack. Horvat has 10 goals and 15 assists, including three markers on the powerplay. Additionally, he has won 144 draws and lost 165 in the faceoff circle. The Islanders still struggle to score, ranking 22nd in goals and 16th in shooting percentage. However, they are ninth on the powerplay, showcasing their skills with the extra man.

Sorokin likely makes the start. Ultimately, he will play behind a squad that is 14th in goals allowed and 30th on the penalty kill, indicating a problem that the Islanders need to fix.

The islanders will cover the spread if they can draw penalties and score on the powerplay. Also, they must avoid taking penalties.

Final Ducks-Islanders Prediction & Pick

The Ducks are struggling. Conversely, the Islanders are thriving. Expect the Islanders to continue their success against the Ducks.

Final Ducks-Islanders Prediction & Pick: New York Islanders: -1.5 (+118)