The Stanley Cup Playoffs resume Saturday after a two-day break, and the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders will play Game 3 of their Eastern Conference Second-Round series. Puck drop at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto is set for shortly after 7 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Flyers-Islanders betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.
Flyers vs. Islanders: Projected starting goalies
Carter Hart vs. Semyon Varlamov
Hart enters the day with a .935 save percentage and 1.97 goals against average through 10 postseason games. He stopped 31 of 34 shots in the Game 2 overtime victory for the Flyers.
Varlamov was pulled after allowing three goals on 10 shots in the first period of Game 2. He recorded a 29-save shutout in the Game 1 victory after blanking the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of the Isles’ First-Round series.
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Flyers vs. Islanders: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 11:05 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Flyers 3, Islanders 1
Moneyline (ML)
The FLYERS (+100) offer nice value at even-money following the Game 2 win. They’re -115 favorites to win the series with the Isles at -106 to advance to the Eastern Conference Final.
The Islanders’ Game 1 win was the more impressive of the two in the series, but the Flyers showed their proper potential with three goals in the first 15:09 of Game 2. Varlamov will certainly bounce back, but expect the Philly offense to control puck possession and make an easier night for Hart.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
There’s good value in the alternate line of FLYERS -1.5 (+280). Should Philly win by 2 or more goals, a $10 bet would return a profit of $28.
They needed overtime to win Game 2 after Islanders C Jean-Gabriel Pageau capped the regulation comeback with the game-tying goal with just 2:09 remaining on the clock. Don’t expect them to let up Saturday.
Over/Under (O/U)
Play the UNDER 5 (-106) in a tighter-scoring game following the two off days. Game 3 was supposed to be played Thursday as the second half of a back-to-back, and the goalies will have benefited from the rest.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 49-39-1
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