In sports, there is very often a fine line between winning and losing, and in no place is that better seen than in the race for playoff spots. We all tend to think that the season doesn’t really matter until we get down to the final few weeks, but the reality is that a bad losing streak that came in November can often end up being the difference between making the postseason and not. The battle for playoff spots in the NHL this season has been ridiculously fun to watch, but given the current state of the standings in both conferences, I am of the belief that the best is yet to come. There are going to be a handful of teams who miss out by the slimmest margin conceivable, so there really now is little margin for error. The Islanders and the Coyotes are both currently in playoff spots in their respective conferences, but both teams are far from safe. This is a game with huge playoff implications for both, so expect them both to go all out for the win. The Coyotes are favored by 1 ½ at home, with the goal total set at 6. Let’s see how the NHL betting odds will be for the Islanders vs Coyotes.
Islanders vs Coyotes Game Preview & NHL Betting Lines
- When: Monday, February 17 at 4 PM EST
- Where: Gila River Arena, Phoenix
- NHL Odds: Arizona Coyotes -1.5 / Total 5
Why bet on the New York Islanders
The Islanders have done a fantastic job of keeping pace with the Capitals and Penguins at the top of the Metropolitan Division, but if they can’t snap out of their current 2-game losing skid soon, they are in danger of losing touch with the leaders. The Islanders have gone 5-3-2 in their last 10 games, taking their season record to 33-18-6, which has them now sitting 6 points back of the Penguins in second in the division and 8 back of the Capitals at the top. The Islanders beat the Coyotes 4-2 in an earlier meeting this season, although that win came on home ice. On the road this season, the Islanders are sitting at 15-11-2 SU, while also going 16-12 ATS in those road games. They are just 2 wins in their last 7 on the road.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.91
- Shots: 29.28
- PP/PK Percentage: 18.6
- Goals: 2.75
- Shots: 31.61
- PP/PK Percentage: 20.13
Why bet on the Arizona Coyotes
The tightest divisional race in the NHL can be found in the Pacific Division, where just 4 points separates the top 5 teams. The Arizona Coyotes are at the bottom of that 5-team pack, but they are also just 4 points out of first, so they still have a legitimate shot at winning the division. That said, they are on a rather poor run of form at the moment, going 3-4-3 in their last 10 games, although they are coming into this one off a win. While the Coyotes are in the final Wild Card slot at the moment, they are also just a single point up on a pair of teams directly below the playoff line. The Coyotes do have a winning record on home ice, but 14-11-3 is not as great as they would have hoped for in their own building.
Team Stats
Offense- Goals: 2.79
- Shots: 31.33
- PP/PK Percentage: 19.37
- Goals: 2.72
- Shots: 32.28
- PP/PK Percentage: 16.57
Islanders vs Coyotes NHL Betting Trends
- NY Islanders are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games against Arizona.
- NY Islanders are 2-5 SU in their last 7 games on the road.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of NY Islanders’ last 5 games when playing on the road against Arizona.
- NY Islanders are 5-10 SU in their last 15 games against an opponent in the Western Conference conference.
- The total has gone OVER in 6 of NY Islanders’ last 9 games played in February.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games.
- Arizona are 4-12 SU in their last 16 games.
- The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Arizona’s last 8 games against NY Islanders.
- The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Arizona’s last 5 games at home.
- The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Arizona’s last 5 games when playing at home against NY Islanders.
Islanders vs Coyotes Expert Pick and Final Score Prediction
While neither of these two are really setting the world on fire at the moment, it is the Islanders who look to be improving off a bit of a slump. I like the Islanders to win SU, but I might just play it safe and take them ATS.
New York Islanders 3 Arizona Coyotes 2
