Penguins vs Islanders Prediction
The Pittsburgh Penguins will play the New York Islanders on Wednesday night at UBS Arena in Elmont, New York. Pittsburgh has won two of their last three games, while New York has also won two of their last three. Let’s take a look at the betting matchup and the Penguins vs Islanders prediction.
Penguins Preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins are 15-13-4 this season after they lost to Ottawa in overtime by a score of 5-4 in their last game. Pittsburgh trailed 4-2 in the third period, but they were able to force overtime, before losing 1:10 into overtime. The Penguins out shot Ottawa by a total of 34-26 and went 1-7 on the power play in the game. Pittsburgh defeated Carolina by a score of 2-1 and Minnesota by a score of 4-3 in the two games prior to Ottawa. The Penguins are scoring 2.84 goals per game and they are allowing 2.78 goals against per game, while going 13.7% on the power play and 82.7% on the penalty kill. Sidney Crosby has led Pittsburgh with 19 goals, 16 assists, and 120 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for Pittsburgh is Tristan Jarry, who is 9-11-2 this season with a 2.61 goals against average and a .913 save percentage.
Islanders Preview
The New York Islanders are 16-8-9 this year after they defeated Carolina by a score of 5-4 in their last game. New York led 4-2 going into the third period and was able to barely hang on for the win in the third. The Islanders were out shot by a total of 40-28 and went 0-3 on the power play in the game. New York lost to Washington by a score of 3-2 in the game prior to Carolina, but did beat Edmonton by a score of 3-1 in the game before that. The Islanders are scoring 3.12 goals per game and they are allowing 3.18 goals against per game, while going 24.7% on the power play and 71% on the penalty kill. Mathew Barzal has led New York with 10 goals, 25 assists, and 95 shots on goal. The projected starting goalie for New York is Ilya Sorokin, who is 10-4-7 this season with a 3.09 goals against average and a .914 save percentage.
New York Islanders Team Facts
- The Islanders have lost four of their last five games as favorites following a road win.
- The underdogs have covered the puck line in each of the Islanders' last eight games.
- The Islanders have won the third period in each of their last three games as favorites.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 2' market has hit in each of the Islanders' last nine games against Eastern Conference opponents.
Pittsburgh Penguins Team Facts
- The Penguins have lost 14 of their last 15 games as underdogs against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The Penguins have failed to cover the puck line in five of their last six games as underdogs against Metropolitan Division opponents.
- The 'Over 1.5 Goals Period 1' market has hit in each of the Penguins' last three games at UBS Arena.
- The home team has won the first period in each of the Penguins' last five games.
New York Islanders Player Prop Facts
- Bo Horvat has scored at least one goal in five of the Islanders' last six games against Eastern Conference opponents.
- Bo Horvat has recorded at least one point in each of the Islanders' last seven games at UBS Arena.
- Brock Nelson has recorded an assist in each of the Islanders' last four games at UBS Arena.
Pittsburgh Penguins Player Prop Facts
- Jake Guentzel has recorded at least one point in seven of the Penguins' last eight games against the Islanders.
- Bryan Rust has recorded at least one assist in four of his last five appearances against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Matchup/League Facts
- The New York Islanders rank 32nd in the league for shots against per game this season (35.7).
- The New York Islanders rank T2nd in the league in short handed goals this season (8).
- The Pittsburgh Penguins are one of only four teams to lose 5+ games when leading after Period 1 this season.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins rank 5th in the league for shots per game this season (32.9).
Penguins vs Islanders Betting Prediction
Both of these teams have won two of their last three games, but New York will have the home ice advantage here. New York is 9-3-6 at home, while Pittsburgh is 7-7-3 on the road. The Penguins have had some issues scoring consistently this season, as they are only averaging 2.84 goals per game, but they have been great in the defensive end. Neither team has been great at scoring, so I am going to take the Penguins, as they have been the better defensive team so far this year.
