We only have three NHL games scheduled for Wednesday, February 22, and this inter-conference duel will start the action, so make sure you take a look at the best Jets vs. Islanders betting pick and odds.
Winnipeg will conclude the four-game road trip when they visit New York at UBS Arena. The Islanders are firm -124 moneyline favorites on BetRivers NY, while the total is set at 5.5 goals. These inter-conference rivals will meet for the first time this season.
Jets beat the Rangers to avoid the third straight loss
The Winnipeg Jets (35-21-1-0, 33-24 ATS) opened their four-game road trip with a couple of losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets and New Jersey Devils. The Jets scored just three goals in those defeats but bounced back with a 4-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Winnipeg is only a point behind the Western Conference leaders Dallas Stars and Vegas Golden Knights.
The Jets created a 3-0 lead early in the second period in New York, and even though the Rangers attempted 51 shots opposite Winnipeg’s 21, the visitors secured W thanks to fantastic Connor Hellebuyck. It was Hellebuyck’s best performance of his career – he registered a career-high 50 saves. Mark Scheifele netted a pair of goals for the Jets, while Kyle Connor led the team with three points. Talking about points, Kyle Connor is Winnipeg’s top producer with 65 points (G 26, A 39), followed by Josh Morrissey with 58 (G 11, A 47) and Pierre-Luc Dubois with 55 points (G 24, A 31).
Connor Hellebuyck (26-16-1) is expected to take his place between the sticks against the Islanders on Wednesday. The 29-year-old is conceding 2.39 goals per game this year with a .926 SV% and two three.
C David Gustafsson (upper body) and C Cole Perfetti (upper body) are out indefinitely and will not feature on Wednesday in New York.
Islanders beat the Penguins in Pittsburgh
The New York Islanders (29-24-3-4, 29-31 ATS) lost four of their previous six games, but they managed to win one of two road games and now will spend the next two at home. The Islanders opened a two-game road trip with a 6-2 loss to the Boston Bruins but responded with a 4-2 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Thanks to that win, New York leapfrogged Pittsburgh and is now 7th in the Eastern Conference with 65 points.
The Isles trailed 1-0 and 2-1 against the Penguins, but they scored three unanswered goals in the final 12 minutes of the tilt to secure a 4-2 W. Ilya Sorokin was excellent at the goal for the Islanders as he recorded 44 saves, and New York managed to win despite having 32 shots opposite the Penguins’ 46. Bo Horvat, Brock Nelson, and Zach Parise led the Isles in this win with two points apiece. This year, Bo Horvat leads the Islanders with 60 points (G 35, A 25); Brock Nelson is right behind him with 57 (G 26, A 31), and Mathew Barzal has 51 points (G 14, A 37).
Ilya Sorokin (19-17-5) is a probable goaltender for the Islanders against the Jets on Wednesday. The 27-year-old is allowing 2.43 goals per game this season with a .924 SV% and five strikeouts.
RW Cal Clutterbuck (upper body), C Jean-Gabriel Pageau (upper body), C Mathew Barzal (lower body), and RW Oliver Wahlstrom (head) are out indefinitely and will not play on Wednesday against the Jets.
Trends:
Winnipeg:
- 10-25 in the last 35 vs. Metropolitan Division opponents
- 1-4 in the last five vs. Eastern Conference rivals
- 1-4 in the last five games playing on one day of rest
New York:
- 5-1 in the last six after allowing two goals or less in their previous game
Winnipeg Jets vs. New York Islanders Pick
Winnipeg Jets is better than the Isles in both offense and defense this season. The Jets are scoring 3.14 goals per game opposite the Islanders’ 2.92 gpg, while on defense, Winnipeg has the third-best D in the NHL that is allowing 2.60 gpg opposite New York’s 2.77 gpg. This one could go either way, but I a giving a slight advantage to the Isles. They won four of the last six games at home, while the Jets lost five of the previous eight on the road.
Pick: Take the Islanders to win (-124)
The Total
Both Hellebuyck and Sorokin are in good form at the moment; Hellebuyck allowed just five goals in three starts in February, while Sorokin has been of the best goaltenders this season in the NHL. That said, I expect to see plenty of stops from each goalie and a low-scoring affair. Under is 21-5-1 in the Jets’ last 27 vs. Eastern Conference rivals; Under is 12-3-1 in Winnipeg’s previous 16 in the third game of a 3-in-4 days situation, while Under is 10-4-2 in the Islanders’ last 16 home games.
Pick: Go Under 5.5 goals (-110)
