The New York Islanders (41-30-9) travel to meet the Washington Capitals (34-36-9) Monday. Puck drop from Capital One Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Islanders vs. Capitals odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Islanders are tied with the Florida Panthers with 91 points, with both teams tied for the 2 Wild-Card spots. The Pittsburgh Penguins are a point back with 2 regular-season games remaining.
New York has picked up the pace, winning 4 of the last 6 games overall, including a 2-1 win in a shootout in D.C. on March 29 in the most recent meeting.
Washington was eliminated from the playoff chase, and it has been in a nosedive ever since. The Capitals have picked up just 1 point out of a possible 12 available points since March 25, and it is just 1-7-2 in the last 10 games overall.
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Islanders at Capitals odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:19 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Islanders -160 (bet $160 to win $100) | Capitals +135 (bet $100 to win $135)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Islanders -1.5 (+155) | Capitals +1.5 (-190)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)
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Islanders at Capitals projected goalies
Ilya Sorokin (30-21-7, 2.33 GAA, .925 SV%, 6 SO) vs. Darcy Kuemper (21-26-6, 2.84 GAA, .909 SV%, 5 SO)
Sorokin turned aside 27 of the shots he faced in a 4-0 shutout win over the Philadelphia Flyers, and he has allowed just 1 goal on 58 shots in his previous 2 starts. Sorokin is 1-0-1 with a 2.33 GAA and .918 SV% in 2 starts against the Capitals this season.
Kuemper let in 5 goals on 31 shots in a 6-2 setback on the road against the Montreal Canadiens, and he has allowed 4-plus goals in 3 straight starts, and in 6 of his last 8 outings.
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Islanders at Capitals picks and predictions
Prediction
Islanders 5, Capitals 2
Moneyline
The ISLANDERS (-160) are actually a pretty good value considering they’re playing for a playoff spot while the Capitals (+135) are in a nosedive, long since eliminated from the postseason chase.
Washington has been showing no signs of life, and New York is 7-3 in its last 10 games against Metropolitan Division opponents.
Puck line/Against the spread
The ISLANDERS -1.5 (+155) are a strong value play, as New York pushes for the playoffs.
The Isles have outscored their last 2 opponents by a 10-1 margin, and New York has won 6 of its last 7 games by 3 or more goals. If you like the Isles to win, you should like them to win on the puck line, too.
Over/Under
OVER 5.5 (-110) is a great play, and the Isles have the potential to take care of the Over on their own.
Kuemper has been hemorrhaging goals lately, and the Over is 10-3 in the last 13 games for the Capitals. The Under has been a frequent occurrence for the Isles lately, but New York should flex some offensive muscle against the skidding Caps.
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