Islanders Have Worst Odds to Win East; Lightning Favored at +131
- The NHL playoffs are set to resume play on Saturday afternoon
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are the favorites to win the Eastern Conference with the New York Islanders listed as the biggest underdogs
- The Islanders could be a great value bet for three key reasons
The New York Islanders are the Rodney Dangerfield of the NHL. They get no respect.
Despite statistically being one of the most well-rounded teams remaining in the playoffs, they’re paying on average +388 to reach the Stanley Cup final. If you bet the Islanders at BetMGM you can get them at even more value at +440.
NHL Eastern Conference Odds
| Team | Series Odds at BetMGM |
|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | +130 |
| Philadelphia Flyers | +320 |
| Boston Bruins | +360 |
| New York Islanders | +440 |
Odds taken August 28th
The fine folks at BetMGM may not like the Islanders but I do, especially at this value, for three key reasons.
Barry Trotz Is the NHL’s Best Coach
Look at the run Islanders head coach Barry Trotz has been on the last few years. He won the Jack Adams award for coach of the year in both 2016 and 2019, plus he won a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018. He signed a 5-year, $20-million deal with New York and despite being one of the highest paid coaches in the league, has turned out to be a bargain.
Barry Trotz beats his former team!!! pic.twitter.com/w7kK7yoGFc
— BarDown (@BarDown) August 21, 2020
Trotz coached the Islanders to a series win over his old team in the opening round. Did you happen to catch the handshake line? Alex Ovechkin, Braden Holtby and others showed the ultimate respect to their old coach. They know how special of a coach he is and you should too. Expect him to keep getting the most out of his team as these playoffs continue.
Depth Scoring Makes Islanders Tough to Coach Against
Josh Bailey is the only Islanders player averaging a point per game in the playoffs. How is that an argument that you should bet on New York? Because they’re still ranked fourth in scoring at 3.36 goals per game. This makes them a matchup nightmare for opposing coaches. If a coach is up against the Boston Bruins, the game plan is simple. You match your best defensive pair against the top line of Brad Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak and hope for the best. Coaches don’t have the luxury of easy decision making against the Islanders.
Our updated Round 2 schedule. pic.twitter.com/79WhehexFo
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) August 28, 2020
Nine players have recorded five or more points, including Anthony Beauvillier who is tied for second in the playoffs with seven goals. Six Islanders have scored at least three times and only one player on the team holds a minus rating. This lineup may not have the star power of Boston or Tampa but they have much more depth which is key this time of year.
Varlamov Has Been Sensational In Goal
Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov has been everything the Islanders need and more between the pipes. He leads the playoffs with a 1.76 goals against average. Some of this is from great team defense but still, the fact remains he’s keeping the puck out of the net better than any other goalie in the playoffs and that stands for something.
“We have this platform as professional athletes and hockey players to make our communities a better place.”
Anders Lee, Zdeno Chara, James van Riemsdyk & Kevin Shattenkirk speak to the media.
Watch the full video here: https://t.co/phjk04NRpf pic.twitter.com/hzjX7BbgxR
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) August 28, 2020
Tampa Bay has a strong goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy but look at the other competition in the Eastern Conference. Carter Hart on the Flyers is expected to be elite in the future but is currently ranked 12th in goals-against average which is just okay. The Bruins lost their starting goalie Tuukka Rask due to a family emergency and are relying on back up veteran Jaroslav Halak who has been unimpressive. The Islanders are very comfortable with their starting goalie going forward and they should be.
Consider a Value Bet On the Islanders
Tampa Bay are listed as the favorites to win the conference and for good reason but it’s tough to justify them at +130. Looking deeper into the Eastern Conference odds you’ll notice New York is a fantastic value bet. They are well-coached, deep up front and fantastic in goal. Sounds like a recipe to make you a big winner if you ask me.
The Pick: New York Islanders (+440)
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
