The 2021-22 NHL season continues with an eight-game Sunday card, bringing plenty of interesting markets to the bettors, so we have prepared the best Islanders vs. Ducks betting pick along with the latest odds update on DraftKings NY Sportsbook.
New York meets Anaheim for the first time since December 2019, and the Ducks search for their third consecutive victory over the Islanders. The hosts are listed as favorites to win this battle, so let’s take a closer look.
The Islanders close a back-to-back set
The New York Islanders will play at Honda Center in Anaheim without rest, coming off a tough road matchup with the Los Angeles Kings (Saturday night’s games have been excluded from the analysis). The Islanders continue their five-game road trip that started with a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken on February 22.
A couple of days later, the Islanders suffered a 4-3 shootout defeat at the San Jose Sharks, falling to 19-20-8 on the season. New York was sixth in the Metropolitan Division, 19 points off the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Islanders score only 2.51 goals per game (29th in the NHL) on an 8.5 shooting percentage (27th). They surrender 2.70 in a return (5th), posting the 11th-best penalty-killing percentage in the league (81.4%). Semyon Varlamov is expected to patrol the crease at Honda Center, and he’s 3-9-1 with a 2.57 GAA and a .916 save percentage in 2021-22.
The Ducks continue to chase the playoffs
The Anaheim Ducks (25-20-9) are coming off a 4-1 home loss to the Los Angeles Kings this past Friday. Playing as +100 underdogs, the Ducks couldn’t cope with the Kings’ offense. They conceded three times in the second period, while center Troy Terry scored the consolation goal at the start of the third period.
Terry now has 27 goals and 18 assists on his season tally. He’s the Ducks’ top scorer. However, Anaheim has dropped five of its previous seven games overall, and Terry has accounted for just a couple of goals and assists in that stretch.
The Ducks occupy the fifth spot of the Pacific Division standings. They are tied with Edmonton and Dallas for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Anaheim scores 2.91 goals per game (18th in the NHL) and allows 2.98 in a return (tied-18th). John Gibson is expected to get the starting call Sunday, and the 28-year-old netminder is 16-14-8 with a 2.84 GAA and .911 save percentage in 2021-22.
Trends:
NY Islanders:
- 2-5 in the last seven games overall
Anaheim:
- 5-1 in the last six games against the Islanders
New York Islanders vs. Anaheim Ducks Pick
Dealing with fatigue on the second night of a back-to-back might be a big problem for the Islanders, especially in a matchup with the Ducks, who love to be physical. New York has gone only 4-9 in its previous 13 outings on the back end of a back-to-back set.
Anaheim won’t have an easy task, for sure, but the Ducks desperately need a win to keep pace in the playoff race. Hopefully, John Gibson will find a way to break out of his slump. He’s played well for most of the season, but Gibson has allowed four or more goals in five straight outings.
Pick: Take Anaheim Ducks
The Total:
Four of the Islanders’ last six games and five of the Ducks’ previous six have produced six or more goals in total. The betting trends suggest the over, but I cannot expect to see a proper high-scoring affair, as both teams have struggled to score during that six-game stretch.
If you like to ride the betting trends, take the over. Nine of the Ducks’ last 12 contests have gone over the total. On the other side, the over is 9-2 in the Islanders’ previous 11 showings on the road.
Pick: Go over
