The Florida Panthers and the New York Islanders meet Saturday in NHL action from the UBS Arena. We will look at this from a betting perspective and determine the best bets for this game. Here’s an Islanders vs. Panthers Prediction.
Florida Panthers Recap
The Florida Panthers come into this game looking to bounce back from a 3-2 loss at the hands of the Minnesota Wild last time out to sit at 35-33-3 this season. After this game, Florida will head on the road for a game against the New York Rangers.
Panthers Alternate Wins & Losses In 5 Straight
Sam Reinhart leads the Panthers in scoring with 61 points coming on 29 goals and 32 assists, while Brad Marchand has 54 points with 27 goals and 27 assists as well on the year. Anton Lundell has 44 points with 18 goals and 26 assists while Seth Jones has 24 points with 6 goals and 18 assists and Sam Bennett has 54 points with 25 goals and 29 assists. Carter Verhaeghe has 50 points with 21 goals and 29 assists and Evan Rodrigues has 31 points with 11 goals and 20 assists. Mackie Samoskevich has 23 points with 6 goals and 17 assists. Sergei Bobrovsky’s gone 26-20-1 with a 3.02 GAA and an .878 save percentage, while Daniil Tarasov has gone 9-13-2 with a 3.01 GAA and an . 899 save percentage so far this season.
Why the Florida Panthers will win
- The Panthers have won each of their last 10 games as underdogs following a loss.
- The Islanders have lost each of their last three games as home favorites following a win.
- The Panthers have covered the puck line in each of their last 10 games as underdogs following a loss.
- The Islanders have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last four games as home favorites.
Florida Panthers Player Prop Facts
- Sam Reinhart has scored a goal in seven of the Panthers’ last eight games against the Islanders.
- Aleksander Barkov has recorded at least one assist in each of his last four appearances against the Islanders.
- Matthew Tkachuk has recorded three assists against the Islanders this season—equal to the most against any opponent.
New York Islanders Recap
The New York Islanders come into this game looking to add on to their 2-1 win over Dallas last time out to sit at 41-27-5 this season. After this game, the Islanders will take on the Pittsburgh Penguins at home.
Islanders Looking For Consistency
Mathew Barzal has 65 points with 18 goals and a team-high 47 assists, while Bo Horvat has 52 points with 30 goals and 22 assists. Matthew Schaefer has 54 points with 22 goals and 32 assists and Anders Lee has 38 points with 16 goals and 22 assists. Emil Heineman has 29 points with 20 goals and 9 assists. Jonathan Drouin has 21 points with 18 assists and Simon Holmstrom has 38 points with 18 goals and 20 assists. Ilya Sorokin is 27-18-2 with a 2.48 GAA and a .914 save percentage, while David Rittich is 14-9-3 with a 2.66 GAA and an .899 save percentage in goal for the Islanders so far this season.
Why the New York Islanders will win
- The Islanders have won 10 of their last 11 home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- The Panthers have lost six of their last seven day games.
- The Panthers have failed to cover the puck line in each of their last seven day games.
- The Islanders have covered the puck line in 10 of their last 11 home games against Eastern Conference opponents.
New York Islanders Player Prop Facts
- Jean-Gabriel Pageau has scored a goal in four of his last five appearances with his team as a favorite against the Panthers.
- Matthew Schaefer has recorded an assist in each of the Islanders’ last four games as home favorites against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Matthew Schaefer has recorded two assists against the Panthers this season—equal to the most against any opponent.
Total Goals Facts
- Eight of the Panthers’ last nine road games following a home loss have gone OVER the total goals line.
- Six of the Islanders’ last seven home games following a win have gone OVER the total goals line.
Islanders vs Panthers Prediction
I’m on the Islanders here. I get the case to be made for the Panthers as plus-money dogs, but I think we’re at the point where the Panthers are resigned to their fate that they’re not even going to have a chance to three-peat, as they’re going to be watching the playoffs from the couch in a couple of weeks. The Islanders are still trying to fight for positioning at this point and still have plenty on the line, so I’ll side with the Islanders at home here.