The Prudential Center will be hosting a Metro Division tilt as the New York Islanders take on the New Jersey Devils. It’s the fourth and last time that these two clubs will meet in the regular season. The match will get started at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, March 31 and it can be caught live on MSG Network.
New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils Odds
New Jersey (-230) is currently the favorite over New York (+190) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals. The line for betting the total stands at -130 for the over and +110 for the under.
The Devils are 40-37 straight up (SU) and have netted 9.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. That early-season winning percentage is a complete turnaround from how the team performed during the 2016-17 season (28-54). Through 77 regular season matches, 39 of the teams games have gone over the total, while 36 have gone under and just two have pushed. This year, the teams 20-18 SU at home.
New Jersey has converted on 21.0 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked ninth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 82.1 percent of all penalties.
New Jersey, as a collective unit, has been called for penalties 3.7 times per game overall this season, and 2.8 per game over its last five home outings. The teams had to kill penalties for just 6.9 minutes per game over its last 10 outings, overall.
Boasting a .909 save percentage and 28.0 saves per game, Cory Schneider (18-21-6) has been the best option in goal for the Devils this year. If the Devils choose to give him a breather, however, the team could roll with Keith Kinkaid (22-15-15 record, .910 save percentage, 2.89 goals against average).
Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier will both be focal points for the Devils. Hall (86 points) has put up 34 goals and 52 assists and has recorded two or more points 25 times this year. Hischier has 18 goals and 32 assists to his credit and has recorded at least one point in 35 contests.
New York is 32-46 straight up (SU) and has lost 12.8 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. A total of 46 of its outings have gone over the total, while 28 have gone under and just three have pushed. As a road team, New York is 15-24 SU.
New York has scored on 22.8 percent of its power play chances this year, a figure that’s good enough for sixth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 32nd overall and it’s successfully killed off 74.3 percent of all penalties.
New York’s skaters have been penalized 3.4 times per game this season, and 5.0 per game over their last five on the road. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays 8.6 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Jaroslav Halak (29.2 saves per game) has been the main option in the net for New York. Halak has 19 wins, 34 losses, and six overtime losses to his credit, while registering a .906 save percentage and 3.24 goals against average this year.
Leading the offensive attack for the visiting Islanders will be John Tavares (34 goals, 46 assists) and Mathew Barzal (20 goals, 58 assists).
New York Islanders at New Jersey Devils Betting Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Islanders, O/U – Under
Betting Notes
- The total has gone over in four of New Jersey’s last five games.
- New York has managed 29.6 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while New Jersey is averaging 36.6 shots per game over its last five at home.
- The extra-man advantage may be key tonight. The Islanders are 12-24 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 20-35 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total. The Devils are 11-21 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 21-28 when they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
- New Jersey is 5-4 in games decided by a shootout this season while New York is 3-3 in shootouts.
- New Jersey skaters have averaged 9.4 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 8.2 takeaways per game (ranked 10th overall).
- New York is ranked 21st overall this season with 6.6 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward lately, as it’s created 8.1 takeaways over its last 10 games and 8.8 takeaways over its last five.
- New Jersey might hold an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. The teams 22-17 in games decided by one goal, while New York is only 13-20 in such games.
