The New York Islanders (42-31-9) visit the Carolina Hurricanes (47-21-14) on Monday for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Puck drop from PNC Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Islanders vs. Hurricanes odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Islanders qualified for the top Wild-Card spot, edging the Florida Panthers by a single point.
New York posted a dominant 6-2 win in Carolina in the 1st meeting on Oct. 28. However, Carolina won the previous 3 meetings, including each of the 2 meetings on Long Island. More importantly, the Canes won 2-1 on April 2 in Raleigh as the Under (5.5) easily connected.
Carolina picked up a pair of wins to close out the season, hanging on for the Metropolitan Division title over the New Jersey Devils by 1 point.
The Hurricanes have managed to win 37 of the last 51 games at PNC Arena, which is a .725 winning percentage. They’re also 17-7 in the last 24 games when working on 3 or more days of rest. And to be honest, the Canes looked a little tired down the stretch, so the rest likely did them well.
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Islanders at Hurricanes odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:16 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Islanders +140 (bet $100 to win $140) | Hurricanes -165 (bet $165 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Islanders +1.5 (-190) | Hurricanes -1.5 (+155)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +105 | U: -130)
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Islanders at Hurricanes projected goalies
Ilya Sorokin (31-22-7, 2.34 GAA, .924 SV%, 6 SO) vs. Frederik Andersen (21-11-1, 2.48 GAA, .903 SV%, 1 SO)
Sorokin started all 4 regular-season meetings against the Hurricanes, going 1-3-0 with a 2.79 GAA and .911 SV%. He allowed just 2 goals on 35 shots in the 2-1 loss 2 weeks ago in Raleigh, while conceding just 2 goals on 35 shots in the 1st meeting in late October, too.
Andersen makes his first NHL playoff start since 2020, when he was a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs. He suffered a lower-body injury last April and was forced to miss the entire postseason for the Hurricanes. Andersen went 2-1-0 with a 2.67 GAA and .905 SV% in 3 starts against the Isles in the regular season.
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Islanders at Hurricanes picks and predictions
Prediction
Hurricanes 3, Islanders 2
Moneyline
The HURRICANES (-165) have quite a hefty price tag, but they’re well worth playing on home ice in front of its raucous home crowd.
Carolina is 13-3 in the last 16 meetings against New York, while cashing in 6 of the last 8 home matchups with the Isles. The favorite has connected in 4 of the previous 5 meetings, too.
Look for the Hurricanes to get off to a good start with a Game 1 victory.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Islanders +1.5 (-190) are a little too expensive for my liking, if you can’t pick New York straight up, and would like some insurance.
I think New York is able to make this a very close game, and it should cover in a game which potentially sees overtime. However, you can’t risk nearly 2 times your potential return. It’s not a good long-term betting strategy.
PASS.
Over/Under
The UNDER 5.5 (-130) is the lean in this series opener.
Carolina scored 3 or fewer goals in 9 of the final 11 regular-season games. The Under is 8-2 in the last 10 games overall for the Canes, while going 4-0 in the last 4 home outings.
For New York, the Under is 3-1-1 in the last 5 games against Metropolitan Division foes, while cashing at an 8-3-1 clip in the last 12 games in the conference quarterfinals round.
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