The New York Islanders (29-15-5) play the first of a home-and-home set with the New York Rangers (26-18-6) Thursday with a 7 p.m. ET puck drop at Madison Square Garden. Below, we analyze the Islanders-Rangers odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
The Islanders were on the short end of a 1-0 loss in Washington on Tuesday, losing for the third consecutive outing. They have totaled three goals in the 0-2-1 skid, all against the Capitals. Their last win was a 6-1 victory against the Islanders at home on April 20.
The Rangers have won three straight games with a two-game sweep over the Buffalo Sabres, and a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. They have outscored the opposition 13-5 during the three-game win streak.
Islanders at Rangers: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:40 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Islanders +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Rangers -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Islanders +1.5 (-250) | Rangers -1.5 (+200)
- Over/Under: 5.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
Islanders at Rangers: Projected starting goalies
Semyon Varlamov (17-9-4, 2.12 GAA, .926 SV%, 5 SO) vs. Igor Shesterkin (15-11-3, 2.42 GAA, .922 SV%, 2 SO)
Varlamov was on the short end of a 1-0 shootout loss against Washington last Thursday. He has been dealing with some general soreness, giving way to Ilya Sorokin. Facing the Rangers could snap him right on track, as he is 3-1-0 with a 1.01 GAA and .965 SV% with two shutouts in four starts.
Shesterkin has won back-to-back starts, albeit against the cellar-dwelling Sabres. The last time he faced the Islanders he was beaten down for six goals on 28 shots April 20 in a 6-1 loss. He is 0-3-1 with a 3.75 GAA and .878 SV% in four outings against the Isles this season.
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Islanders at Rangers: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Islanders 4, Rangers 2
Money line (ML)
The ISLANDERS (+105) are short ‘dogs on the road, and they’re the play based upon Varlamov’s dominance in the series, and Shesterkin’s struggles against NYI. The Islanders are 14-5 in their past 19 trips to MSG, and 18-8 in the past 26 in this series with the underdog 8-2 across the past 10 meetings overall.
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Against the spread (ATS)
The Islanders +1.5 (-250) are quite expensive catching a goal and a half, as they will cost you two and a half times your potential return. That’s too expensive.
AVOID.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 5.5 (+100) are the lean at even money. You’ll be going against the trends, as the Under is 5-1 in the past six meetings, and 3-0-1 in the past four at MSG. While Varlamov has been hard on the Rangers, Shesterkin has been very giving against the Islanders, and his struggles against the Isles makes the Over worth a look.
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