The New York Islanders (29-15-6) host the Dallas Stars (30-18-4) Tuesday at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Puck drop is scheduled for shortly after 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Stars-Islanders sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Stars at Islanders: Projected starting goalies
Ben Bishop vs. Semyon Varlamov
Bishop had the night off Monday as the Stars topped the New York Rangers 5-3. He is 18-11-3 on the season with a .925 save percentage and 2.31 goals against average. He stopped 29 of 31 shots in a win over the New Jersey Devils Saturday.
Varlamov is well-rested, having last played Saturday, Jan. 18. He lost his last four starts prior to the All-Star break to slip to 15-8-4 on the season with a .915 SV% and 2.59 GAA.
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Stars at Islanders: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full list.
Odds last updated at 10:15 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Stars 4, Islanders 2
Moneyline (ML)
The STARS (+105) are on the second half of a back-to-back, but their No. 1 netminder is rested and travel isn’t an issue after playing at Madison Square Garden Monday. The Islanders (-125) have lost four of their last five games and six of their last eight, and they’re coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks Saturday.
The Islanders are 15-7-4 at home this season, while the Stars are 14-10-2 on the road. Dallas has the edge in both Corsi For Percentage (percentage of all shot attempts) and scoring chances for at 5-on-5 since Jan. 1. Back the visitors at plus-money.
New to sports betting? A $10 bet on the Stars to win in regulation, overtime or a shootout returns a profit of $10.50.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
PASS on the less profitable spread and stick with the moneyline. The Stars are getting just -250 odds to cover the +1.5 and either lose by 1 goal or win outright. We don’t need the single goal of insurance while backing the underdogs to win outright. The Stars are 27-25 against the spread overall and 15-11 on the road. The Isles are 23-27 ATS overall and 10-16 at home.
The alternate line of STARS -1.5 (+310) may be worth a small-unit play, but it’s risky as they play for the second night in a row against a rested home team.
Over/Under (O/U)
Back the OVER 5.5 (+125). Varlamov is well-rested but enough so that he could have some rust issues Tuesday. Bishop remains a steady force between the pipes, but the defense corps in front of him will be tired.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 202-188
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