Nassau Coliseum plays host to an enticing matchup as the New York Rangers take on the New York Islanders. MSG2 will showcase this cross-town matchup, and the action gets going at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, January 16.
New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders Odds
The Islanders (-180) are favored over the Rangers (+160) and oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -120 over, +100 under.
The Islanders are 28-17 straight-up (SU) and have earned moneyline bettors 8.2 units this season. That winning percentage, ranked fourth in the league in this young season, is fairly close to the 48-34 record the team posted during last year’s regular season campaign. Out of their 45 regular season contests, 25 of them have gone under the total, while 18 have gone over and just two have pushed. The team is 15-8 SU at home this season.
The Islanders have converted on 19.2 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 18th overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 79.8 percent of all penalties.
As a collective unit, the Islanders have been penalized 3.4 times per game overall this season, and 2.6 per game over their last five at home. The team’s had to stave off opponent power plays for just 5.2 minutes per contest over their last five home games.
Sporting a .919 save percentage and 25.8 saves per game, Semyon Varlamov (16-13-4) has been the most dependable option in goal for the Islanders this season. If they decide to give him the evening off, however, head coach Barry Trotz might turn to Thomas Greiss (13-9-9 record, .921 save percentage, 2.54 goals against average).
Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson will both spearhead the attack for the Islanders. Barzal (39 points) has tallied 17 goals and 22 assists and has recorded two or more points in 10 different games this year. Nelson has 18 goals and 17 assists to his credit and has recorded a point in 21 games.
The Rangers have earned moneyline bettors 6.0 units this year and are currently 22-23 straight up (SU). Through 45 regular season matches, 23 of their games have gone over the total, while 21 have gone under the total and just one has pushed. New York’s 9-13 SU as the visiting team this season.
The Rangers have converted on 20.4 percent of their power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill unit is ranked 21st overall and they’ve successfully killed off 78.9 percent of all penalties.
Rangers players have been penalized 4.8 times per game in total this season, 5.0 per game over their last five outings total, and 5.0 per game over their last five road outings. The team has had to kill penalties a whopping 16.0 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Henrik Lundqvist (3.18 goals against average and .907 save percentage) has been the primary option in goal for the Rangers. Lundqvist is averaging 29.1 saves per game and owns a 9-16-3 record.
Artemi Panarin (26 goals, 41 assists) has been one of the most vital offensive playmakers for the visitors.
New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Rangers, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- For both of these clubs, the total has gone over in three of their past five matches.
- The Rangers are 10-13 SU in games where they serve more penalty minutes than their opponent while the Islanders are 21-9 SU when they spend more time in the box than the opposition.
- The Rangers are 0-2 in games decided by a shootout this season while the Islanders are 3-1 in shootouts.
- The Islanders are ranked 16th with 7.8 takeaways per game. That figure has trended upward recently, as they’ve created 8.4 takeaways over their last 10 games and 8.8 takeaways over their last five.
- The Rangers are ranked ninth this season with 8.2 takeaways per game. That figure has trended lower lately, however, as they’ve averaged 7.4 takeaways over their last 10 games and 7.4 takeaways over their last five.
- The Islanders may hold an advantage if this one comes down to the wire. They’re 15-7 in games decided by one goal, while the Rangers are 7-9 in such games.
