The Dallas Stars (16-11-3) entertain the New York Islanders (19-6-2) at American Airlines Arena Saturday at 9 p.m. ET. We analyze the Islanders-Stars odds and lines while providing NHL betting tips around this matchup.
Islanders at Stars: Projected starting goalies
Semyon Varlamov vs. Ben Bishop
Varlamov has a 9-3-2 record for New York with a 2.35 goals against average and .923 save percentage. The projected Islanders starter stopped 31 of 33 shots in a home, overtime win versus the Vegas Golden Knights Thursday night.
Bishop has a 10-6-2 record. He has a 2.19 goals against average and .929 save percentage in 20 games played. The expected Dallas starter stopped 36 of 38 shots in a 3-2 overtime win against the Winnipeg Jets Thursday.
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Islanders at Stars: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Stars 3, Islanders 2
Moneyline (ML)
The STARS (-150) and Islanders (+125) are both rested headed into this matchup. New York is 3-2 in their last five games and Dallas is 1-3-1 in that span. Expect this game to be close and low-scoring. New York allows just 2.58 goals on the road and Dallas yields two goals a game (10-4-1 at home). BACK DALLAS slightly.
A $10 bet with Dallas results in a $6.67 profit with an outright win for the Stars.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The Stars are 16-14 ATS, while New York is 14-14 vs. the spread. This is one to AVOID, as the Islanders number at +1.5 (-239) has too much tax. That payout on a $10 bet would be just $4.18 for the Islanders to lose by one goal or win outright.
Over/Under (O/U)
The UNDER 5.5 (-150) is fine and conservative play. There were rumblings that the over/under could go to five here, but the line hasn’t moved as of yet. That is fortunate as most projections suggested a 3-2 outcome. Consider that the Islanders give up just 2.41 goals per game (3rd) and the Stars 2.43 goals per game (4th), I side with the UNDER Saturday night.
Placing a $10 bet here will give a bettor a $6.67 profit with a total of six or fewer goals scored.
Want some action on this matchup? Place a bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.com.
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