NHL: Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders Prediction, Odds & Best Bets

We are back to the ice after the holiday break, and it feels good. This is the second half of the season now and every game counts that much more. Every team will be looking to get every point that they can get.

It is a huge 14 game slate tonight and we're heading to Long Island for a divisional matchup. The Pittsburgh Penguins (15-13-4) will head to Long Island to face the New York Islanders (16-8-9). The Islanders are 2nd in the Metro division while the Pens are in 7th. This is the 1st time these 2 teams are facing off this year.

In their last 10 games, the Isles are 6-1-3 and are 9-3-6 at home so far this season. Their decent offense mixed with their good goaltending but beat up defense is what the Islanders are. For both goals scored and shots on goal forced per game, the Isles rank middle of the league.

New York's offense has been a nice surprise for them. Last year's pick-up Bo Horvat is showing he's the offensive player the team had been missing. His chemistry with the rest of the team, specifically Mat Barzal, has been on point and a huge part of his success.

Barzal is having a great year with a team leading 35 points. He, along with Noah Dobson and Bo Horvat, has 30+ points so far this season. Dobson leads the team in assists with 29 and Brock Nelson leads the team with 16 goals. The Islanders have 5 players with 10+ goals.

Ilya Sorokin is expected to be in net. He has a record of 10-4-7 with a 3.09 GAA and a .914 save percentage. The 7 in the overtime loss column is the killer for Sorokin. The team has given him more help over his last 2 starts that resulted in wins.

The Pens are 7-7-3 on the road this year and 4-3-3 in their last 10 games. They're coming in off a loss coming into this game. Their middle of the pack defense will have to step up to contain the Islanders offense who can go off if they click.

Pittsburgh has been a little of a disappointment so far this year. Their record speaks to it as does their unsuccessful offense. They rank in the bottom of the league for goals forced per game with 2.84 and shooting percentage with only 8.6%.

They're shooting the puck because they rank 5th in the league for shots on goal per game, but they aren't doing anything with the chances. Pittsburgh gains possession a good amount of time because they win 55% of their faceoffs, which ranks 2nd in the league.

Sidney Crosby has a lot to do with that. The future Hall of Famer is having himself a nice year with a team leading 19 goals and 16 assists so far. He's tied for the team lead in points at 35 with Jake Guentzel who has 14 goals and team leading 21 assists.

Goalie Tristan Jarry is expected to get the start tonight. He has a 2.81 GAA with a .913 save percentage, but only a 9-11-2 record to go with it. The Pens are going to need to support him better to hold the Isles off. Let's check out the odds and talk about the pick.

Betting Odds

Puck Line

• Pittsburgh Penguins +1.5 (-230)
• New York Islanders -1.5 (+188)

Moneyline

• Pittsburgh Penguins +105
• New York Islanders -126

Totals

• Over 6.5 (+104)
• Under 6.5 (-128)

Odds courtesy of MyBookie

Game Information

• Venue: UBS Arena, Elmont, NY
• Date: Wednesday, December 27, 2023
• Puck Drop: 7:30pm EST
• TV: MSGSN2, SportsNet PT

Pittsburgh Penguins vs New York Islanders Prediction and Picks

Prediction and Pick: New York Islanders Moneyline (-126) MyBookie

The Islanders look good as a team. They have started to play tighter defense and are 2-0-1 in their last 3 games. Last game was against the Canes and they took the game 5-4 which is nice momentum.

Sorokin has been playing great. He's 5-0-2 in his last 7 starts with a 3.07 GAA and a .916 save percentage. His history vs Pitt is sick, winning his last 4 straight. He is also 6-3-0 in his last 9 starts with a 2.71 GAA and a .918 save percentage.

Being a home game, I think the Islanders try to get on the board early. This is going to be a gritty match as it always is between these 2 teams. I also think this game goes back and forth – one team takes the lead and then the games tied again soon after.

With Sorokin in net, the Islanders will just need to support him on defense while doing their jobs on offense. I think this is a great spot for the New York to continue to climb the standings with a W. We're not even paying the juice man too bad with the moneyline either. Let's go Islanders!

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