The Pittsburgh Penguins (28-14-11) and New York Islanders (30-20-5) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. The game will be broadcast live on TNT.
The Islanders are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6.5 (+114o / -135u). The Islanders are a -130 favorite to win outright, while the Penguins are +110 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Penguins vs. Islanders predictions and NHL picks.
Penguins vs. Islanders Odds, Pick
| Penguins Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -219 | 6.5 +114o / -135u | +110 |
| Islanders Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +178 | 6.5 +114o / -135u | -130 |
- Penguins vs. Islanders Spread: Islanders -1.5 (+178 ), Penguins +1.5 (-219)
- Penguins vs. Islanders Over/Under: 6.5 (+114o / -135u)
- Penguins vs. Islanders Moneyline: Penguins +110, Islanders -130
Penguins vs. Islanders Preview
Pittsburgh Penguins
Both teams enter this contest on the second half of a back-to-back. With goaltender Arturs Silovs having started the previous night, the Penguins are expected to turn to Stuart Skinner in this matchup.
Skinner has done an excellent job since being acquired from the Edmonton Oilers. He has won eight of his past nine starts, posting a .917 save percentage and a 2.01 goals-against average over that stretch.
It has also helped Skinner that Pittsburgh is much stronger defensively than Edmonton. This season, the Penguins rank 10th in the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
Skinner should receive ample goal support as well, given that Pittsburgh ranks sixth in expected goals for per 60 minutes (xGF/60). With this strong two-way play, the Penguins enter this matchup ranked sixth in expected goal share.
New York Islanders
Meanwhile, the Islanders trail the Penguins in each of those three key analytical categories. In fact, New York is among the league’s weakest analytical teams, ranking 20th in xGF/60, 29th in xGA/60 and 25th in expected goal share.
The primary reason the Islanders are favored in this matchup is goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who is expected to start. However, regardless of how strong Sorokin is, he does not offset the significant gap between these two teams across all three zones.
Sorokin already faced the Penguins earlier this season. In that meeting, he allowed four goals on 28 shots for a .857 save percentage.
Penguins vs. Islanders Prediction
Pittsburgh won that game 4-3 and has improved since then. The Penguins have taken a step forward both offensively and defensively while strengthening their goaltending with the addition of Skinner.
Skinner is 8-1 over his past nine starts with Pittsburgh, and at plus money, it is worth backing him to keep this run going.
Pick: Penguins Moneyline (+110 | Play to +105)
