by Rod Pearson
Saturday, Mar 16, 2024
Game Time: 1:00 pm ET, Sunday, March 17, 2024
Venue: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Where to Watch: TNT, MAX
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Islanders +140, Rangers -166; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Islanders +140, Rangers -165; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Islanders +140, Rangers -165; Over/Under: 6 goals
Season Record
New York Islanders: 29-22-14 (4th place, Metropolitan Division)
New York Rangers: 43-19-4 (1st place, Metropolitan Division)
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Recent Form
New York Islanders: 6-4-0 last 10
New York Rangers: 6-3-1 last 10
New York Islanders vs New York Rangers Preview and Analysis
The Islanders are entering this game with 72 points, a 29-22-14 record overall, and they are 14-14-5 in their road games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Buffalo Sabres in their last game, losing that one on the road 4-0, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Ottawa Senators still to be played on Saturday. In their game against the Sabres, no one scored a goal or recorded an assist for them in that game. Kyle Palmieri led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Ilya Sorokin was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 3 goals on 36 shots with 33 saves and a .917 save percentage. Their offense has scored 197 goals this season averaging 3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 213 goals against them allowing 3.3 goals per game.
The Rangers are entering this game with 90 points, a 43-19-4 record overall, and they are 23-8-0 in their home games this season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning in their last game, losing that one on the road 6-3, but this is also the 2nd game of a back-to-back for them with their game against the Pittsburgh Penguins still to be played on Saturday. In their game against the Lightning, Jack Roslovic, Artemi Panarin, and Braden Schneider each scored 1 goal for them in that game. Jack Roslovic, Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafrenière, Vincent Trocheck, and Mika Zibanejad each led the team in assists with 1 while Adam Fox and Zac Jones each led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Igor Shesterkin was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 5 goals on 27 shots with 22 saves and a .815 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 217 goals this season averaging 3.3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 179 goals against them allowing 2.7 goals per game.
Islanders vs Rangers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Rangers listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. The Rangers have looked great in their games this season with their 43-19-4 record overall which has them leading their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL. They have also looked great on home ice this year with their 23-8-0 home record. Meanwhile, the Islanders have looked good in their games this season with their 29-22-14 record overall which has them in 4th place of their division in the East and fighting for a Wild Card spot right now. They haven't looked great in their road games though, going 14-14-5 in their road games this season. They are 6-4-0 in their last 10 games but they lost their momentum with a loss in their last one, also getting shut out in that game. The Rangers have been just as hot lately with their 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games and they just lost their last one in Tampa 6-3 so they will be looking to bounce back now that they are back on their home ice. Both of these teams are playing on a back-to-back here so neither team has a real rest advantage and the Rangers are one of the best teams in the NHL right now so they are more likely to bounce back in this situation and get hot again. The best way to place a bet here is on the Rangers to win this game.
Islanders Rangers Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Sunday, March 17, 2024 (1:00 pm ET start time) is Rangers 4 Islanders 2.
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NHL Betting Trends
New York Islanders: 29-37 (-14.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 50-60 (-11.7 units) on the moneyline revenging a loss versus opponent. 12-19 (-9.6 units) on the moneyline after 3 or more consecutive losses. 10-4 OVER revenging a close loss vs opponent of 1 goal or less. 8-4 OVER after losing their previous game in overtime.
New York Rangers: 43-23 (+7.2 units) on the moneyline in all games. 10-1 (+9 units) on the moneyline when playing on back-to-back days. 92-61 (+11 units) on the moneyline off a win or tie in their previous game. 16-9 OVER off a road win against a division rival.
Key Injuries
New York Islanders: S. Mayfield (D) Late April - Lower Body.
New York Rangers: M. Rempe (C) Elig Tues - Suspension. J. Trouba (D) Late March - Lower Body. B. Wheeler (RW) out for season - Lower Body. F. Chytil (C) out for season - Upper Body.
Notable Quotes
“You can’t dwell on it. You can’t feel sorry for yourselves or think that we’re out of it. We’re still very much in this thing. I think we definitely have to play a lot better than we did tonight and we’ve got to do that with this next home game.” - Bo Horvat after their loss against the Sabres in their game on Thursday.
“I don't think we gave up a boatload of chances but they got a couple of dangerous players that hurt us.” - Peter Laviolette after his team’s loss against the Lightning in their game on Thursday.
Starting Lineups
New York Islanders
LW Nelson, Brock
C Horvat, Bo
RW Barzal, Mathew
LD Pelech, Adam
RD Dobson, Noah
G Varlamov, Semyon
New York Rangers
LW Panarin, Artemi
C Trocheck, Vincent
RW Lafrenière, Alexis
LD Lindgren, Ryan
RD Fox, Adam
G Shesterkin, Igor
Statistical Leaders
New York Islanders
Points: M. Barzal (68)
Goals: B. Nelson (29)
Assists: N. Dobson (56)
GAA: S. Varlamov (2.80)
New York Rangers
Points: A. Panarin (88)
Goals: A. Panarin (36)
Assists: A. Panarin (52)
GAA: J. Quick (2.38)
Coaches:
New York Islanders: Patrick Roy (1st season)
New York Rangers: Peter Laviolette (1st season)
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.
