by Rod Pearson
Wednesday, Mar 04, 2026
Game Time: 9:30 pm ET, Thursday, March 5, 2026
Venue: Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Islanders +130, Kings -155; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Islanders +130, Kings -155; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Islanders +130, Kings -155; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
New York Islanders: 35-21-5 (3rd place, Metropolitan Division)
Los Angeles Kings: 24-22-14 (6th place, Pacific Division)
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Recent Form
New York Islanders: 8-2-0 last 10
Los Angeles Kings: 3-6-1 last 10
New York Islanders vs Los Angeles Kings Preview and Analysis
The Islanders are entering this game with 75 points, a 35-21-5 record overall, and they are 18-11-3 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Florida Panthers in their last game, winning that one at home 5-4, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Anaheim Ducks still to be played on Wednesday night. In their game against the Panthers, Matthew Schaefer led the team in goals scored with 2 while Anders Lee, Bo Horvat, and Carson Soucy each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Tony DeAngelo led the team in assists with 2 while Matthew Schaefer and Mathew Barzal each led the team in shots on net in that game with 5. David Rittich was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 33 shots with 29 saves and a .879 save percentage. Their offense has scored 182 goals this season averaging 3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 172 goals against them allowing 2.8 goals per game.
The Kings are entering this game with 62 points, a 24-22-14 record overall, and they are 9-14-7 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Colorado Avalanche in their last game, losing that one at home 4-2. Angus Booth and Brandt Clarke each scored 1 goal for them in that one. Adrian Kempe, Anže Kopitar, and Brian Dumoulin each led the team in assists with 1 while Kenny Connors led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Anton Forsberg was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 38 shots with 35 saves and a .921 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 155 goals this season averaging 2.6 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 179 goals against them allowing 3 goals per game.
Islanders vs Kings Prediction
The current betting odds have the Kings listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Kings haven't looked good in their games this season with their 24-22-14 record overall which has them in the bottom half of their division in the West. They have looked terrible on home ice too with their 9-14-7 home record this season. Meanwhile, the Islanders have looked really good in their games this season with their 35-21-5 record overall which has them in the top half of their division in the East. They have been a good road team too with their 18-11-3 road record this year. The Islanders have looked great this season and they have been rolling in their games lately. They are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games and coming off a 5-4 win over the Panthers in their last one, but they aren't in a great situation for this game. They are playing this game on a back-to-back with a tough game against the surging Ducks the night before. The Islanders do have some momentum on their side with 5 wins in a row now, but they have also been winning in a lot of tight games lately, even going to OT a few times on this streak. Now they are on the road on a back-to-back after a tough game the night before and as bad as the Kings have been lately, they are going to be desperate to win this game. The Kings are off a 4-2 loss to the Avalanche in their last one and they are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games, but they are still in the Wild Card race in the West and just fired their head coach the other day, so they will be looking to have a boost as they try to turn things around. The best way to place a bet here is on the Kings to win this game.
Islanders Kings Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Thursday, March 5, 2026 (9:30 pm ET start time) is Kings 5 Islanders 2.
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NHL Betting Trends
New York Islanders: 35-26 (+11.1 units) on the moneyline in all games. 23-14 (+15.5 units) on the moneyline as an underdog of +100 to +200. 35-22 (+15.5 units) on the moneyline against mistake free teams - opponents average 4 power plays/game or less. 14-7 UNDER as a road underdog.
Los Angeles Kings: 24-36 (-21.5 units) on the moneyline in all games. 8-13 (-11.8 units) on the moneyline as a home favorite of -200 or less. 12-17 (-9.2 units) on the moneyline after playing a home game. 9-4 UNDER when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%).
Key Injuries
New York Islanders: K. Palmieri (C) Out - Knee. A. Romanov (D) Out For Season - Upper-body. P. Engvall (LW) Out - Ankle. S. Varlamov (G) Out - Knee.
Los Angeles Kings: D. Kuemper (G) Day To Day - Illness. T. Moore (LW) Day To Day - Illness. Q. Byfield (RW) Day To Day - Upper-body. D. Doughty (D) Day To Day - Lower Body. J. Moverare (D) Out - Personal. J. Armia (RW) Out - Upper Body. A. Kuzmenko (LW) Out - Meniscus. K. Fiala (LW) Out - Leg.
Notable Quotes
“I thought it was a really solid team effort. Like (Bo) Horvat’s line was flying. He was skating well with (Mathew) Barzal and (Ondrej) Palat, and I thought they had a strong game. I mean, I thought it was a great goal by Lee on that one, coming around like that and beating [Bobrovsky] to the net. I mean, it was great. And again, coming back from 0-2 and winning the game again. I hope it's something we don't have to do every night, but I love the fact that we don't change our game, we stay focused, and we do what we have to do.” - Patrick Roy after his team’s win against the Panthers in their game on Sunday.
“You need the points, for sure, but at this point you can’t fault the effort, and we’re going to need that every game.” - D.J. Smith after his team’s loss against the Avalanche in their game on Monday.
Starting Lineups
New York Islanders
LW Ondrej Palat
C Bo Horvat
RW Mathew Barzal
LD Matthew Schaefer
RD Ryan Pulock
G David Rittich
Los Angeles Kings
LW Artemi Panarin
C Anze Kopitar
RW Adrian Kempe
LD Mikey Anderson
RD Drew Doughty
G Darcy Kuemper
Statistical Leaders
New York Islanders
Points: Mathew Barzal (55)
Goals: Bo Horvat (25)
Assists: Mathew Barzal (38)
GAA: Ilya Sorokin (2.47)
Los Angeles Kings
Points: Adrian Kempe (50)
Goals: Adrian Kempe (22)
Assists: Adrian Kempe (28)
GAA: Darcy Kuemper (2.68)
Coaches:
New York Islanders: Patrick Roy (3rd season)
Los Angeles Kings: D.J. Smith (Interim)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
