The New York Islanders (21-8-4) travel to face the Boston Bruins (16-8-4) on Thursday with a 7 p.m. ET puck drop at TD Garden. Below, we analyze the Islanders-Bruins odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
Islanders at Bruins: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:15 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Islanders +110 (bet $100 to win $110) | Bruins -130 (bet $130 to win $100)
- Against the spread/ATS: Islanders +1.5 (-275) | Bruins -1.5 (+220)
- Over/Under: 5.5 (O: +110 | U: -135)
Islanders at Bruins: Projected starting goalies
Semyon Varlamov (13-6-3, 2.17 GAA, .923 SV%, 3 SO) vs. Tuukka Rask (8-4-2, 2.46 GAA, .906 SV%)
Varlamov has dropped each of his past two starts, coughing up seven goals during the span. Not many have had success against the Bruins, but Varlamov is all about beating Boston. He is 4-0-0 with a 1.22 goals-against average and .960 save percentage with one shutout in four starts against the B’s this season.
Rask might be able to return from an undisclosed upper-body injury after practicing Wednesday. He hasn’t started since March 7 in a 1-0 loss against the New Jersey Devils, and he hasn’t won in his past two starts since Feb. 28. While he has a decent 2.60 GAA and .915 SV% in two starts against the Isles this season, he is 0-2-0.
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Islanders at Bruins: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Islanders 4, Bruins 2
Money line (ML)
The ISLANDERS (+110) have dominated the Bruins (-130), and Varlamov has won all four of his outings against the B’s this season. Until Boston starts to tick off victories on the routine against New York, keep backing the Isles. New York has won 16 of the past 21 games overall, and four of the past five on the road.
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Against the spread (ATS)
The Islanders +1.5 (-275) are too costly on the puck line, as they will cost you nearly three times your potential return. They’re a more than attractive play straight up. AVOID playing against the spread.
Over/Under (O/U)
The OVER 5.5 (+110) is a nice value at plus-money. While Varlamov hasn’t allowed much against the Bruins this season, there is a rust factor for Rask. He could cough up a handful of goals as he gets back into the swing of things after a bit of a layoff.
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