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The New York Islanders (35-20-7) lock horns with the St. Louis Blues (37-17-10) Thursday at Enterprise Center at 8 p.m. ET. We analyze the Islanders-Blues sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Islanders at Blues: Projected starting goalies
Semyon Varlamov vs. Jordan Binnington
Varlamov suffered a tough 4-3 loss in overtime against the New York Rangers Tuesday, snapping a two-game winning streak. While he is 19-12-5 with a 2.51 goals against average and .918 save percentage in 41 appearances (36 starts), he is actually much better on the road. He is just 8-7-1, but he has a 2.18 GAA and .928 SV% in 19 road games, including 16 starts.
Binnington has racked up a 28-11-7 record, 2.61 GAA and .911 SV% in 46 starts. His splits easily favor him at home, as he is 19-4-5 with a 2.23 GAA and .919 SV% with all three of his shutouts at Enterprise Center, while going just 9-7-2 with a 3.22 GAA and .900 SV% on the road.
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Islanders at Blues: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 6:10 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Blues 3, Islanders 2
Moneyline (ML)
The BLUES (-176) are heavily favored at home behind Binnington. This won’t be a slam-dunk play, however, as the Islanders (+145) just made some key acquisitions at the trade deadline. While the home team should still come out ahead, go very lightly.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Blues ML returns a profit of $5.68 if they win, while a $10 wager on the Islanders ML results in a profit of $14.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
This game is going to be super close, and could need overtime or a shootout to determine a winner. As such, you cannot play the Blues (-1.5, +145). However, the Islanders (+1.5, -176) is just a little too expensive. AVOID.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 5.5 (-121) has connected in six of the past seven games overall for the Islanders, and 5-0 in the past five against Western Conference foes. For the Blues, they have hit the Over in six of the past seven against Eastern Conference teams, while the Over is 8-3-1 in the past 12 against winning teams. Don’t get carried away, but bank on a lower-scoring game.
Want some action in this one? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
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