The Nashville Predators head to UBS Arena on Thursday night to wrap up their two-game regular-season series against the New York Islanders, so we’re breaking down this interconference showdown to get you the best NHL betting pick and odds.
Back in October, the Predators beat New York 3-2 in a shootout as small -105 home dogs to extend their winning streak over the Islanders to six games. This time around, Nashville is a +115 road underdog with a total of 5.5 goals on BetMGM Sportsbook.
The Predators hammered Detroit for their second straight victory
The Nashville Predators (14-10-1) have won three of their previous four games and are sitting at the third spot of the Central Division standings at the moment. They are coming off a convincing 5-2 victory at the Detroit Red Wings this past Tuesday, as defenseman Roman Josi and center Ryan Johansen tallied one goal and a couple of dishes each.
Josi has already accounted for eight goals and 16 assists in 2021-22. The Predators are scoring 2.88 goals per game (18th in the NHL) on a 9.6 shooting percentage (16th) while surrendering 2.80 goals in a return (tied-14th).
David Rittich guarded the cage against Detroit and yielded a pair of goals on just 16 shots, so we’re expecting to see Juuse Saros between the pipes Thursday. Saros is 11-8-1 with a solid 2.37 GAA and .921 save percentage this season. He was unavailable for the Red Wings game with a non-COVID related illness, so keep tracking the injury reports.
The Islanders finally broke out of a horrible slump
The New York Islanders (6-10-5) beat the Ottawa Senators 5-3 last Tuesday to put an end to their 11-game losing streak. Center Anders Lee scored a pair of goals, while Ilya Sorokin posted 30 saves to help the Islanders snap their horrible run.
New York has had some serious COVID-19 issues over the previous two weeks. The Islanders also started the season with a ridiculous 13-game road trip, and they’ve lost all six home games in 2021-22. Center Casey Cizikas is still in the COVID protocol, but all other guys are ready to go.
The Islanders are scoring only 2.05 goals per game (31st in the NHL) on a 7.2 shooting percentage (tied-30th) while allowing 2.95 goals in a return (18th). Sorokin is 6-6-4 with a 2.53 GAA and a .924 save percentage, and he should get the starting call Thursday against the Predators.
Trends:
Nashville:
- 1-4 in the last five games following a win
NY Islanders:
- N/A
Nashville Predators vs. New York Islanders Pick
The New York Islanders are a much better team than their current record indicates. They’ll have a huge motive in this matchup, searching for their first home win of the season and the first victory at brand-new UBS Arena.
The clash against Nashville is a nice opportunity for the Islanders to finally give their fans something to cheer for. The Predators have been pretty unpredictable as of late, going just 1-4 in their previous five showings following a win.
Pick: Take New York Islanders at -127
The Total:
Only two of the Islanders’ last seven games have produced more than five goals in total. New York leans on its defense, while the Islanders’ offense has struggled mightily during that COVID-19 crisis. On the other side, six of the Predators’ previous seven contests have gone over the total, producing six or more goals in total each, so it’s tough to predict what will happen when they visit the Islanders.
If Juuse Saros suits up, I would go with the under. He’s done a great job for the Predators thus far, and with him and Ilya Sorokin between the pipes, we shouldn’t see a high-scoring affair.
Pick: Go under 5.5 goals at -133
