NHL odds, pick, best bets
The New York Islanders put together one of their best efforts of the 2023-24 NHL season in a 3-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
The victory ended a mini two-game losing streak for the Islanders, but the big picture is that the Isles now have points in 16 of their last 18 contests and have won seven of their last 10.
The Isles will look to extend their hot run of form as a +105 underdog against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.
Islanders vs. Capitals prediction
In a twist, it’s been the Islander offense that has been driving the bus of late.
After spending the last half-decade as one of the league’s stingiest defensive units, the Isles have transformed a bit over the first half of 2023-24.
Part of the shift to a more uptempo style of play is out of necessity — the Islanders have been missing at least one top-four defenseman for practically every game this season and are missing three at the moment — but it’s also just a natural progression for a team that has more scoring talent in its ranks than it has had in quite a long time.
During their salad days under Barry Trotz, the Islanders needed to play a defensive style because the team didn’t have the scoring power to win high-event games.
With Bo Horvat, Brock Nelson, Mat Barzal and Noah Dobson all in great form and one of the league’s best power plays, the Islanders can now afford to be a little riskier because they can score themselves out of trouble.
The Islanders have scored at least three goals in each of their last 11 games and are averaging 4.5 goals per contest in that frame.
The Capitals are off to a better-than-expected start this season, but almost all of their success can be attributed to a sturdy defense and terrific goaltending.
Betting on the NHL?
Washington’s offensive numbers are among the worst in the NHL, but the Caps don’t need to score all that much because they’re only allowing 2.79 goals per game.
Washington’s meager offensive output means there is very little margin for error, which is a dangerous game when you’re taking on a team that is clicking offensively like the Isles are at the moment.
This is a great schedule spot for the Capitals with the Islanders traveling on the second night of a back-to-back, but sometimes those spots give bettors a chance to get the better team at a discount.
That is the case Wednesday night.
The Bet: Islanders (+105, BetMGM)
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