The battle of New York will be front and center of the hockey universe as the New York Islanders clash with the New York Rangers in what should be an absolutely epic showdown! With that being said, join us for our NHL odds series where our Islanders-Rangers prediction and pick will be revealed.
Entering play, the Islanders come into this one on an absolute roll as they have managed to reel off six wins in their previous seven outings. Now, with an overall record of 8-5-0, the Islanders are eager to officially put themselves on the map with a convincing effort against their crosstown rivals.
When it comes to the Rangers, the team has fallen flat on their faces of late with back-to-back defeats at the hands of the Bruins and Red Wings. Even more so, both games came within the confines of Madison Square Garden, a place where they have played rather well in most home games on the season. Regardless, the Rangers will get another crack to send their fans home happy versus the Islanders.
Here are the Islanders-Rangers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Islanders-Rangers Odds
New York Islanders: +1.5 (-170)
New York Rangers: -1.5 (+138)
Over: 6 (-110)
Under: 6 (-110)
Why The Islanders Could Cover The Spread
During their last game which resulted in a gritty 4-3 overtime victory over a very good Flames squad, the Islanders made the most of their extra man advantage when it mattered most while out on the ice. Even though the Islanders were outshot 46-32, New York showed that they were not too big for the spotlight with the game on the line. With their power play-winning goal, the Islanders are hopeful that they can reverse a trend that currently has New York struggling mightily when going up against teams that are shorthanded. So far, the Islanders are only converting 15% of their power play opportunities, which ranks as the sixth-lowest percentage in the entire NHL. Without a doubt, New York will need to be more efficient in this area if they are planning on covering the spread this evening.
In addition, the most important aspect of the Islanders possibly covering the spread versus the Rangers will come in the form of a similar performance versus them back on Oct. 26th in a matchup that resulted in a 3-0 Islanders shutout win. In that duel, the Islanders it was Kyle Palmieri with a pair of goals and a dominant performance from Ilya Sorokin with an absurd 41 saves to get them the victory. Since that victory, the Islanders are 6-1-1 and don't look to be slowing down anytime soon.
Why The Rangers Could Cover The Spread
Although the Rangers are in the midst of a mini-two-game slump, this is still a roster that possesses a hefty amount of speed and size to give them a great chance to be in every single game they play. Unfortunately, whenever the Rangers have suited up to play the Islanders in an attempt to prove that they are the top hockey squad in New York City, they have fallen short with a 4-10-1 record versus their rivals including a horrid 1-6 record inside MSG.
If the Rangers are going to get back on track and start winning against the Islanders, it will be vital for them to finish games. In fact, over the course of their last five games, the score of each contest has been tied going into the third. However, New York has failed to make a game-defining play down the stretch to put them out on top. It will be of utmost importance to get their key players the puck in critical moments to give themselves the best shot to come out on top.
With that being said, be on the lookout for the Rangers to get names like Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko the puck in space early to instill some confidence in the beginning stages of this crosstown matchup. Not only that, but it will be up to net-minder Igor Shesterkin to stand on his head. In his last appearance against the Bruins, Shesterkin struggled by surrendering four total goals en route to the loss. Without question, the Rangers will need him to return to his usual dominant self.
Final Islanders-Rangers Prediction & Pick
In a game where both sides aren't particularly fond of one another, don't be surprised if a lot of hits and penalties rack up by the game's conclusion. However, the Islanders have been playing like the better team of late and should have no issue in covering the +1.5 goal spread.
Final Islanders-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Islanders +1.5 (-170)
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