In their first head-to-head matchup of the regular season, the Detroit Red Wings and the New York Islanders collide at the Barclays Center in an Eastern Conference showdown. The opening face-off is at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, December 19, and it is being televised live on Fox Sports Detroit.
Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Islanders Odds
New York enters the game as the heavy favorite with a moneyline of -180. The line for Detroit sits at +160 and the Over/Under (O/U) has been set at an even 6 goals (-110 for the over, -110 for the under).
Netting moneyline bettors 3.0 units, New York is 18-15 straight up (SU) overall in the 2017-18 season. That early-season winning percentage isn’t too far off from to what the team managed during the 2016-17 season (41-41). Through 33 regular season outings, 22 of its games have gone over the total, while 10 have gone under and just one has pushed. This season, the team is 10-4 SU at home.
The Islanders have converted on 20.2 percent of their power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, their penalty kill is ranked 32nd overall, and they’ve successfully killed off 73.0 percent of all penalties.
As a team, the Islanders have been penalized just 3.5 times per game overall this season, and 2.6 per game over their last five home outings. The team has had to stave off opponent power plays for just 7.6 minutes per game over their last 10 outings, overall.
With a .905 save percentage and 26.1 saves per game, Jaroslav Halak (9-10-1) has been the primary goalkeeper for the Isles this season. If the Isles, however, decide to give him the night off, head coach Doug Weight may roll with Thomas Greiss (9-8-8 record, .888 save percentage, 3.76 goals against average).
Josh Bailey and John Tavares will each lead the offensive attack for the Islanders. Bailey (40 points) has tallied nine goals and 31 assists and has recorded multiple points on 12 separate occasions this year. Tavares has 19 goals and 21 assists to his credit and has recorded at least one point in 19 games.
Over on the other bench, Detroit is 12-20 straight up (SU) and has lost 8.3 units for bettors taking the moneyline this year. Through 32 regular season contests, 16 of its games have gone over the total, while an additional 16 have gone under and none have pushed. The Red Wings are 6-8 SU as the visiting team this season.
The Red Wings have scored on 20.6 percent of their power play chances this year, a mark that’s good enough for eighth-best in the NHL. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked ninth overall and it’s successfully killed off 82.9 percent of all opponent power plays.
Detroit’s players have been penalized 4.2 times per game this season, and 2.6 per game over their last five on the road. The team has been forced to kill penalties just 8.3 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Jimmy Howard (25.3 saves per game) has been the main choice in goal for Detroit. Howard has 10 wins, 17 losses, and six OT losses to his credit, and has registered a .908 save percentage and 2.83 goals against average this year.
For the visiting Red Wings, the offense will be coordinated by Dylan Larkin (five goals, 19 assists) and Anthony Mantha (12 goals, 10 assists).
Detroit Red Wings vs. New York Islanders Betting Predictions
Predictions: SU Winner – Islanders, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- New York is 2-1 in games decided by a shootout this season while Detroit is 2-1 in shootouts.
- The total has gone over in three of New York’s last five outings.
- Over Detroit’s last ten games, six of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-4 in those games).
