NHL Odds, Preview, Expert Pick & Prediction: Islanders vs Capitals (April 10)

Islanders vs. Capitals Odds

After a massive win on Saturday, the New York Islanders head to the nation's capital to take on the Washington Capitals. In order to maximize their playoff opportunity, the Islanders need to win out. They’ve won two in a row and have gone 6-3-1 in their past 10, so they’ve been playing solid hockey lately.

The Capitals are no longer in playoff contention. Washington has been awful, losing four in a row, and going 1-7-2 in its past 10 games.

Here’s a look at the odds, as well as our betting prediction for the New York Islanders vs. Washington Capitals.

The must-have app for NHL bettors

The best NHL betting scoreboard

Free picks from proven pros

Live win probabilities for your bets

DOWNLOAD NOW

New York Islanders

Still without star center, Mathew Barzal, the Islanders have been relying on their depth. Brock Nelson is leading the charge with 34 goals and has four points in his past two games. However, captain Anders Lee is goalless in his past eight games, just when New York needs him most. Bo Horvat is starting to pick up his game after a dry stretch and has four points in his past two games.

New York went through a dry spell, but then nabbed 10 goals in two games. So currently, the Isles are hot and capitalizing on chances. They’re a hard team to figure out. The power play is dreadful, scoring 15.7% of the time, and their even strength attack is OK, with a 50.92 xGF% (expected goals).

Defensively, they’ve held on strong, only letting up one goal in their past two. They have an xGA/60 of 2.6, which is 17th, and the penalty kill is among the best with an 82.1% success rate.

I would expect Ilya Sorokin to play from here on out. Sorokin is coming off a huge shutout win and has played like the top goalie in the league throughout the season. He’s playing to a .925 SV% and a +40.5 goals saved above expected (GSAx).

Washington Capitals

Part of why Washington has done so poorly is its injuries. TJ Oshie, Anthony Mantha and Trevor van Riemsdyk are out and Alex Ovechkin is listed as day-to-day.

Over their past five games, the Caps have had a hard time generating a sustainable even strength attack. They’re 20th in expected goals with a 46.76 xGF%, and the power play has been fairly  average, scoring 21% of the time.

Even strength defense is not their strength as they’re 26th with a 3.14 xGA/60. However, their penalty kill is among the best at 82.6%.

Darcy Kuemper will probably start since Charlie Lindgren started on Saturday. In his past five starts, Kuemper has played to an .891 SV%, including letting up five goals to Montreal.

Islanders vs. Capitals Pick

I’m not very high on either team, but Washington is playing terrible hockey at the moment. It’ll be even worse if Ovechkin doesn’t play. Since Washington’s season is over, there’s a chance Ovechkin sits, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.

The Islanders are such a confusing team. Their play fluctuates so much. One week, their offense is clicking, and their defense is stifling. The next week, everything changes. The one constant is Sorokin. The Russian netminder has kept New York in a ton of games, and is a big reason why the Islanders are in the playoff hunt. I don’t think special teams will be a factor since both penalty kills are great and neither power play excels.

I have faith that New York can pull it off. Most of its players have played in big games in the playoffs. This game will be no different.

Pick: New York Islanders 3-Way Moneyline (+100)