The New York Islanders look to break their losing streak as they face the Buffalo Sabres. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with an Islanders-Sabres prediction and pick.
The Islanders come in struggling. They are just 3-5-2 on the year and have lost four of their last five games. Last time out, they faced the Columbus Blue Jackets. After a scoreless first two periods, the Blue Jackets broke the tie in the third period and added an empty net goal to win the game 2-0.
Meanwhile, the Sabres are sitting at 4-5-1 on the year, but have won three of their last four games. Last time out they faced the Florida Panthers. The Panthers took the 2-0 lead, but the Sabres would tie it in the second period. Still, they could not hold on, losing 5-2.
Here are the Islanders-Sabres NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Islanders-Sabres Odds
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-260)
Moneyline: +104
Buffalo Sabres: -1.5 (+205)
Moneyline: -125
Over: 5.5 (-130)
Under: 5.5 (+106)
How To Watch Islanders vs Sabres
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Islanders Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Islanders' top line features Simon Holmstrom. Holstrom has not been great this year, with just two assists on the year. He will be joining Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov on the top line. Horvat had 33 goals and 25 assists last year, sitting fourth on the team with 68 total points. Horvat has three goals and an assist this year. Finally, Tsyplakov has a goal and four assists on the year.
The second line will feature Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson, and Kyle Palmieri. Barzal led the team in points last year with 23 goals and 57 assists. Barzal has two goals and three assists this year, with two assists coming on the power play. Nelson led the team last year with 34 goals, while he added 35 assists, for a third-best on the team 69 points. Nelson has four goals and two assists on the year. Palmieri had 30 goals last year, with 24 assists, good for 54 points. Palmieri has four goals and three assists this year. Further, Noah Dobson has been solid this year, with six assists on the year.
Ilya Sorokin is expected to be in goal for the Islanders in this one. Sorokin is 2-2-1 on the year with a 1.80 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. He is third in the NHL in goals-against average and fifth in save percentage. Last time out, he stopped 19 of 21 shots but took the loss to the Ducks.
Why the Sabres Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Sabres top line is led by JJ Peterka, Tage Thompson, and Alex Tuch. Tuch was tied for the team lead in points, having 22 goals, 37 assists, and 59 total points in 75 games. Tuch has been great this year, with three goals and six assists on the year. Tage Thompson was also solid last year. He has 29 goals, 37 assists, and a total of 56 points. Thompson has scored seven times this year, and he has added five assists. Finally, JJ Peterka scored 28 times with 22 assists in 82 games last year. Peterka has four goals and four assists this year.
The Sabres also bring back Rasmus Dahlin on the blue line. He was tied for the team lead in points. Dahlin had 20 goals and 39 assists last year, including six goals and 14 assists on the power play. Dahlin has a goal and five assists this year. Further, Owen Power has been great from the blue line. He has two goals and six assists on the year. Jason Zucker rounds out the top players on the year for the Sabres. He has two goals and five assists this year, with both goals coming on the power play this season.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen will be tending the twine for the Sabres in this one. He is 3-3-1 on the year with a 3.31 goals-against-average and a .890 save percentage. Luukkonen struggled in his last start, giving up five goals on 31 shots in a loss to the Panthers.
Final Islanders-Sabres Prediction & Pick
The Islanders come in as a slight favorite in terms of odds in this early-season NHL fixture. The Islanders are struggling to score this year, scoring just 2.10 goals per game this year. Further, they are 28th in the NHL on the power play. Still, they sit ninth in the NHL in goals-against per game. The Sabres are scoring well this year, sitting at 3.20 goals per game. Still, they are 31st in the NHL on the power play and have struggled on defense. The Sabres are giving up 3.60 goals per game this year. The Islanders have the better defense this year, but their lack of offense will doom them in this one.
Final Islanders-Sabres Prediction & Pick: Sabres ML (-125)
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