NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs betting odds lines picks best bets against the spread over-under

New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around Tuesday’s New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers Game 5 matchup, with NHL odds, picks and best bets.

The New York Islanders carry the 3-1 Round 2 series lead into Game 5 against the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena in the first of two Stanley Cup Playoffs games on the day. Below, we look at the Islanders-Flyers Game 5 betting odds and lines and make our NHL picks and best bets.

The Islanders can book a ticket to the Eastern Conference Final in Edmonton with a victory.

Islanders vs. Flyers: Projected starting goalies

Semyon Varlamov vs. Carter Hart

Varlamov will return to the crease for the potential series-clinching Game 5 after backup Thomas Greiss started and stopped 36 of 38 shots in the 3-2 Game 4 victory for New York. Varlamov stopped 26 of 27 shots in the Game 3 win, as he bounced back from allowing three goals on just 10 shots in Game 2. He owns a .935 save percentage and 1.69 goals against average since the NHL returned to play with the qualification round.

Hart also received a night off Sunday as backup Brian Elliott drew the start for the second half of the back-to-back. The 22-year-old netminder has allowed three goals in each of his three games in this series and owns a .901 SV%.

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Islanders vs. Flyers: Odds, picks and betting tips

Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full list. Odds last updated at 7:44 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Islanders 3, Flyers 2

Moneyline (ML)

The ISLANDERS (-125) are slight favorites, along with owning -1250 odds to advance to the Eastern Conference Final at some point within the next three games. They’re most likely to do it sooner than later and represent strong value with Game 5’s price.

The Flyers (+105) will be the official home team again Tuesday and will benefit from the advantage of final line changes. The Isles won 4-0 in Game 1 as the road team and took the Flyers to overtime in Game 2. Lean on Varlamov as the better goaltender in the series.

New to sports betting? A $10 on the Islanders to win would return a profit of $8.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Flyers (-1.5, +230) are the official favorites by the puck line with the Islanders (+1.5, -295) heavily favored to lose by just a single goal or win outright.

New York has won twice in this series by multiple goals so there may be some value in the alternate line of Islanders -1.5 (+230), but the Flyers have their backs against the wall, and I’d rather play it safe with the moneyline and the Over/Under below. PASS.

Over/Under (O/U)

UNDER 5 (-110) is a fine play with a push likely to be the worst-case scenario. Three of the four games have played to a total of 5 or fewer goals.

Place a small wager here and a smaller wager on the exact total of 5 goals (+425).

Esten’s NHL betting record: 50-44-1

Get some action on this NHL matchup in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire. Please gamble responsibly.

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Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around Saturday’s Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders Game 3 matchup, with NHL odds, picks and best bets.

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.

Place a legal NHL bet on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

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

Get some action on this NHL matchup in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders odds, picks and best bets

NHL betting analysis around Thursday’s Philadelphia Flyers vs. New York Islanders Game 3 matchup, with NHL odds, picks and best bets.

The Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders get right back at it in their Eastern Conference Second-Round series Thursday. After the Flyers won Game 2 by a 4-3 score in overtime Wednesday, the puck will drop shortly after 7 p.m. ET for Game 3 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. 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 bounced back in Game 2 to stop 31 of 34 shots in the winning effort. It was his fourth straight game with a minimum of two goals allowed, and he has a save percentage of just .906 in his last four games after recording back-to-back shutouts of the Montreal Canadiens in Round 1. He allowed four goals on 32 shots against the Canadiens when starting back-to-back against the Habs in Game 5.

Varlamov’s back-to-back shutout streak was snapped in a big way when he allowed three goals on 10 shots in Wednesday’s Game 2. The extra rest may actually prove beneficial for Varlamov and the Islanders. He allowed three goals on 22 shots in a loss on the second night of a back-to-back against the Florida Panthers in the qualification round.

Place a legal NHL bet on this game or others in CO, IN, NJ and WV at BetMGM. Bet now!

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 12:30 p.m. ET.

Prediction

Flyers 3, Islanders 2

Moneyline (ML)

The FLYERS (-106) were at even money earlier this morning coming off the Game 2 win, and we at SportsbookWire nailed the exact score, moneyline and Over/Under. They surged out to a three-goal first-period lead, but the Isles would chip away and tie it late in the third before Flyers D Philippe Myers potted the winner early in the first OT session.

The Islanders (-112) are slight favorites in a game that opened – and may close – as a pick ’em. Philly remains a -115 favorite on the series line (New York: -106), so the value is there for Game 3.

New York’s 4-0 win in Game 1 was the more impressive of the two thus far, and it outshot Philly in Game 2. I’m trusting the awakened offense to keep it going Thursday and taking the FLYERS (-106) to win in regulation or overtime.

Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

PASS on the puck line once again. After Game 1’s lopsided 4-0 win for the Islanders, it seems as though the rest of this series will be tight.

There’s sense laying the -334 for the Flyers to cover +1.5 and either lose by a goal or win outright (where we already have them at even-money).

Over/Under (O/U)

The projected goal total is set at an even 5. Take the UNDER 5 (-110) as a slight value and bank on a push as a worst-case result.

Some bettors may rather buy the half-goal to get to 5.5, but the Under drops all the way to -189, and that’s too steep for me with the two teams combining for seven goals Wednesday.

Esten’s NHL betting record: 49-39-1

Get some action on this NHL matchup in CO, IN, NJ and WV. Place a legal sports bet at BetMGM now. For more sports betting tips, visit SportsbookWire.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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