The Arizona Coyotes, led by Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller, are preparing to take the ice against Brock Nelson, Mathew Barzal, and the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum in an East-West matchup. The match gets going at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 24, and you’ll be able to see the game live on Fox Sports Arizona.
Arizona Coyotes vs. New York Islanders Odds
With a -120 moneyline, New York comes into the matchup as the favorite. The line for Arizona sits at +100, and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 6 goals (-140 money on the under, +120 on the over).
Earning 1.4 units for moneyline bettors, New York is 5-3 straight up (SU) overall this year. That winning percentage, ranked 3rd in the Metropolitan Division in this young season, is right in line with the 48-34 record the team produced during the 2018-19 season campaign. Out of the team’s eight regular season contests, six of them have gone under the total, while two have gone over and none have pushed. Thus far, the team’s 3-2 SU at home.
The Isles have successfully connected on 36.4 percent of their power play opportunities in 2019-20. That’s a noticeable improvement from last season, when they were ranked 29th in the league by scoring on 15.1 percent of their extra-man chances. Their penalty kill has fallen off significantly year-over-year as they’ve gone from successfully defending 80.7 percent of opponents’ power plays (ranked 13th overall last season) to 73.7 percent this year.
Averaging 26.4 saves per game with a .930 save percentage, Thomas Greiss (three wins, two losses) has been the top goalkeeper for New York this season. If head coach Barry Trotz chooses to give him a breather, however, the team may turn to Semyon Varlamov (2-2-2 record, .923 save percentage, 2.54 goals against average).
On the other hand, Arizona is 5-3 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 2.0 units this season. A total of five of its contests have gone under the total, while two have gone over and just one has pushed. The Coyotes are 2-2 SU as a road team this season.
The Coyotes have scored on 25.9 percent of their power play chances this year after successfully converting on 16.2 percent of their extra-man opportunities last season (a mark that was ranked just 27th in the NHL). The team has gone from killing off 85.0 percent of opponent power plays (ranked first overall last season) to 79.2 percent in 2019-20.
Darcy Kuemper (27.8 saves per game) has been the main option in the net for Arizona. Kuemper owns a 4-2 record, and has registered a .944 save percentage and 1.68 goals against average this year.
Arizona Coyotes at New York Islanders Free Picks
Pick: SU Winner – Coyotes, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- After going 5-5 in games decided by a shootout last season, the Islanders are off to a 1-0 start in shootouts this year. The Coyotes were 4-3 in shootouts last year and has yet to participate in one this time around.
- The under has hit in four of New York’s last five outings.
- Arizona has yet to lose a game by two more more goals this season.
- Arizona skaters notched 24.7 hits per game last season, while the Islanders posted 26.2 hits per contest.
