The Carolina Hurricanes meet the New York Islanders on Sunday for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Puck drop from UBS Arena in Elmont, N.Y., is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (TNT). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Hurricanes vs. Islanders odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Carolina leads the series 2-1.
The Hurricanes were tied 1-1 after 40 minutes in Game 3, as they looked to snap an ugly playoff road losing streak. However, the dam broke in the 3rd period, much to the dismay of Under bettors, and Carolina dropped its 8th straight road playoff game in a 5-1 loss.
Carolina’s last win on the road in the postseason game June 5, 2021, in Tampa, and it’s last road victory in regulation was Aug. 13, 2020, in the Bubble in Toronto. If you don’t count that, the last true road win in the playoffs for Carolina was April 28, 2019, against the Islanders in Game 2 of the 2nd round.
The Islanders saw Kyle Palmieri strike on the power play with 3:51 remaining in regulation, making it 2-1. Under (5.5) bettors were still feeling good, but then Matt Martin scored at 16:53, Scott Mayfield hit an empty-net goal at 18:11, and Anders Lee followed with a goal at 18:27, leaving Under bettors shaking their collective heads.
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Hurricanes at Islanders Game 4 odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 1:13 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Hurricanes +105 (bet $100 to win $105) | Islanders -125 (bet $125 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Islanders +1.5 (-275) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+220)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5 (O: -140 | U: +115)
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Hurricanes at Islanders Game 4 projected goalies
Antti Raanta (19-3-3, 2.23 GAA, .910 SV%, 4 SO – regular season) vs. Ilya Sorokin (31-22-7, 2.34 GAA, .924 SV%, 6 SO – regular season) vs.
Raanta deserved a much better fate in Game 3. He was charged with 4 goals on 36 shots, but he played well for 55-56 minutes, really. The Canes provided him with little offensive support, and left him high and dry defensively late in the 3rd period.
Sorokin grabbed his 1st playoff win of the season, kicking aside 30 of the 31 shots he has faced. The Mezhdurechensk, Russia, native is having a solid postseason, going 1-2-0 with a 2.29 GAA and .942 SV% through 3 games.
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Hurricanes at Islanders Game 4 picks and predictions
Prediction
Islanders 3, Hurricanes 2
Moneyline
The ISLANDERS (-125) are the safe play, as the Hurricanes (+105) simply cannot be trusted on the road in the playoffs. Continue to fade Carolina until it can finally get over the hump and snap the NHL’s longest active postseason road losing streak.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Hurricanes +1.5 (-275) are way too expensive if you like Carolina to keep it close in a low-scoring game, but can’t pick it straight up. Laying nearly 3 times your potential return is not a recommended long-term betting strategy.
AVOID.
Over/Under
I believe we’re going to have another low-scoring battle, and the Over/Under 5 should fall right on the number.
If I had a lean, I’d go super lightly on the Under. We’ve seen tremendous goaltending and defense in this series, and the penalty kill for both teams has been outstanding.
PASS.
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