Thursday NHL Odds & Prediction: Betting Preview for Capitals vs. Islanders (April 28)
Patrick Smith/Getty Images. Pictured: Ilya Samsonov.
- The Washington Capitals travel to New York to take on the Islanders on Thursday night in NHL action.
- The Capitals (-135 favorites) have been a strong road team this season, will that trend continue?
- Jonny Lazarus shares his analysis and best bet below.
Capitals vs. Islanders Odds
| Capitals Odds | -135 |
| Islanders Odds | +110 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The New York Islanders and Washington Capitals are set for their second meeting in three nights. The Islanders got the best of Washington in D.C. on Tuesday night, winning 4-1 in a tough loss for the Caps, who are trying to get ahead of the Penguins in the standings.
Washington is only one point back of third place in the Metropolitan Division with one game in hand on the Penguins, so some may view this as a must-win game.
Washington Capitals Need to Find Their Offense
The Capitals are known for their offensive talent, but in their past five games, they have not been able to score more than three goals in a single contest. Over this span, they have scored a total of 12 goals and, to add insult to injury, their captain and leading scorer is questionable to play.
UBS Arena is not a place the Capitals are afraid to play considering that the last time they were on Long Island, they shut out the Islanders and won 2-0. The Capitals have bested the Isles twice in their three meetings this season, so they should be able to bounce back strong.
The one disadvantage for Washington in this matchup is goaltending. The Capitals are expected to start Ilya Samsonov once again after he allowed four goals on 26 shots. Samsonov has been decent this season, skating to a 23-11-5 record with a .896 save percentage and a 3.02 GAA.
That being said, the Islanders don't necessarily have the strongest offensive team, so the Caps should be able to adjust from Tuesday night and get a better result.
New York Islanders Trying to Play Spoiler
The New York Islanders dug themselves into a huge hole earlier this season and have simply been playing for pride over the past couple of games.
Before defeating Washington on Tuesday, the Islanders had lost five straight games and they aren't necessarily feeling the most confident right now. Semyon Varlamov is expected to get the start for the Isles and he has not been very strong in his past three appearances. In those games he is 0-3-0 and has given up a total of 17 goals against.
The Islanders' offense has not been very reliable this season as it is currently averaging just 2.75 goals per game, which ranks 24th in the league.
If Ilya Sorokin happens to be the starter, the Isles will have an edge in the goaltending battle, but if it is indeed Varlamov, then it is basically a tossup.
Capitals vs. Islanders Pick
This game means a lot more to the Washington Capitals than it does to the New York Islanders and one of the hardest things to do in the NHL is to beat the same team twice in a row.
The Islanders haven't been the best team on home ice this season as they are 19-15-5 at the brand new UBS Arena, so home advantage is not a major factor in the outcome of this game. In fact, the Caps happen to be one of the best teams on the road in the league and are 25-8-6 playing away from the nation's capital.
I think the Capitals will play with a ton of urgency and desperation and I believe they will come away with two points while passing Pittsburgh in the standings.
Pick: Washington Capitals ML -135
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