Hurricanes vs. Islanders Game 4 Odds
| Hurricanes Odds | +105 |
| Islanders Odds | -125 |
| Over/Under | 5 (-130 / +110) |
| Time | 1 p.m. ET |
| TV | TNT |
| Odds via Caesars. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
Buckle up, this should be a fun one!
The Carolina Hurricanes take on the New York Islanders for Game 4 after Game 3 ended quite ravenously. The Canes have had the Isles’ number in the postseason in general, going 9-1, and will look to continue their dominance in Sunday’s matinee.
After losing two in Carolina, it seemed like the Islanders were fading. But in Game 3, they went on a tear in the final five minutes. New York set a playoff record by having the four fastest goals in two minutes and 18 seconds. .
Here’s a look at our odds, as well as our prediction for Hurricanes vs. Islanders Game 4.
Carolina Hurricanes
Come playoff time, it’s always interesting to see who the leading scorers are for each team. Brent Burns is not a surprise as he’s been a veteran spark with four points. However, Jesper Fast has been a thorn in New York’s side; he had an overtime winner in Game 2 and a shorthanded goal on Friday. Sebastian Aho is also always a big presence with over 35 goals this season. The Canes, however, will be without playmaker Teuvo Teravainen for the rest of this series after he broke his hand in Game 2.
Carolina was recognized as the most efficient even-strength team this season, but it has struggled to create in this series. The Canes are 10th in expected goals with a 47.9 xGF% and the power play has struggled since the opener.
It seems as if the Hurricanes are getting outplayed in their zone, with a 2.92 xGA/60. The penalty kill has always been recognized as one of the best, but it hasn’t needed to do much since the Islanders are terrible with the man advantage.
I think many were surprised when Rod Brind’Amour announced Antti Raanta would start in the postseason. But he’s been brilliant (apart from the final three minutes of Game 3), playing to a .909 SV% and +1.3 goals saved above expected (GSAx).
New York Islanders
The return of Mathew Barzal has made the Islanders a bit more dynamic. Kyle Palmieri is currently their lead scorer with four points and Brock Nelson is one of their best creators. One glaring spot is the lack of production from Bo Horvat. He’s gotten his chances, but is pointless in three games.
The Islanders don’t have a ton of play drivers, but Barzal’s return has boosted them. In three games, they’re seventh with a 52.1 xGF% — but the power play is abysmal. They were lucky to score a power-play goal at the last second that eventually was the game winner, but they’re 1-20 in their last eight postseason games with the man advantage.
New York benefited greatly from the return of defenseman Alex Romanov in Game 3. The Islanders improved on defense and now have a 2.68 xGA/60. The penalty kill has also improved since the series opener.
Ilya Sorokin has played like a top-three goalie this season, and that's continued into the playoffs. Sorokin is playing to an elite .947 SV% in the past three games, as well as a +1.2 GSAx.
Hurricanes vs. Islanders Pick
I feel like any game featuring the Islanders is usually a predictable bet. Many of their games are low scoring due to strong defense and elite goaltending. I just don’t think under 5.5 at -148 is good value. A low-scoring game isn’t atypical for these teams, but I think there’s better value elsewhere.
Carolina at full strength is a better team — losing Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov drastically hurts though. It also seems as if New York’s physicality is getting to the Canes. Just look at Martin Necas’ interaction with the Islanders bench towards the end of Friday’s game.
The home-ice advantage is also understated, as the UBS Arena was rocking. It looked like the Hurricanes were starting to break and the likes of Matt Martin and Casey Cizikas were getting in their heads.
I think an Islander win in regulation is possible here.
Pick: Islanders Three-Way ML (+130) |
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