Islanders vs Hurricanes Odds, Game 1 Prediction | NHL Betting Preview (Monday, April 17)

Islanders vs. Hurricanes Game 1 Odds

The Carolina Hurricanes host the New York Islanders in Game 1 of this NHL Eastern Conference series on Monday night.

Carolina has now won nine of the last 11 meetings between these two clubs as it has dominated this matchup over the past couple of seasons. Will the Canes continue to take care of business as large favorites in this series, or can the Islanders keep things close?

Here's a look at the odds, as well as my Islanders vs. Hurricanes Game 1 betting pick.

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New York Islanders

The New York Islanders surprised many by barely holding onto a wild card spot and securing a playoff bid. As a reward, they now face the mighty Carolina Hurricanes, who are one of the favorites to hoist the Cup.

Vezina Trophy candidate Ilya Sorokin bailed out this team frequently this season. The Islanders are a very average club in front of him that would have not made the postseason if it was not for the Russian netminder.

New York ranks 15th in the league in Expected Goals For per 60 minutes (xGF/60) at 5-on-5 this season and 18th in Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (xGA/60). This club heavily relies on Sorokin's success between the pipes, which is a cause for concern in this series given that he is just 2-4 against the Canes in his career with a .908 Save Percentage (SV%) and 2.88 Goals Against Average (GAA).

Can Sorokin steal a game from Carolina? Absolutely. Can he steal two? Maybe — but two games is likely the ceiling for a New York club that is simply outmatched in this series, and blindly betting Carolina in a 4-1 or 4-2 series win should be profitable.

Carolina Hurricanes

While the Islanders were average – outside of Sorokin – in the regular season, the Hurricanes anything but. At 5-on-5 this season, the Canes ranked fourth in the league in xGF/60 and first in xGA/60.

They found a rhythm following the Christmas break; Carolina ranked first in each of those key metrics in the second half of the season. The Canes will likely utilize a goaltending tandem between Frederik Andersen and Anttii Raanta, then go with whoever gets hot as this team advances deeper into the postseason.

Although the starting goaltender has not yet been confirmed for Game 1, expect coach Rob Brind'Amour to go with Andersen, who has typically been the club's option 1A over the past two seasons. While Andersen is obviously not on Sorokin's level, his job is made relatively easy every night with Carolina's dominant puck possession and prevention of high-danger scoring chances.

Over his past 11 games against the Islanders, Andersen is 8-3 with a commanding .919 SV% and 2.36 GAA.

Islanders vs. Hurricanes Pick

Simply put, the Canes are the far superior team in this series. At 5-on-5 this season, they finished 11 spots higher than New York in xGF/60 and 17 spots higher in xGA/60.

With Sorokin in net, the Islanders have a solid chance to steal a game or two. In my opinion, he is the second-best goaltender in the world, and almost all of his metrics place him somewhere among the top four.

However, there is only so much he can do to compensate for a team in front of him that will be outmatched at every position. He will keep games close, which is why I am avoiding taking the Canes -1.5, although I plan to blindly bet the Hurricanes in this series as long as they stay anywhere south of -190.

The Islanders blue line is no longer what it used to be under former head coach Barry Trotz while the offense remains as lifeless, which will be problematic against perhaps the most dominant two-way team in the league.

For the series, I am also betting Carolina -1.5 games at +110.

Pick: Hurricanes ML (-165) | Play to (-175)

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