Islanders vs Panthers Odds, Picks and Predictions
By Daniel Coyle in NHL Hockey
Published:
- The Florida Panthers look to snap a four-game losing streak against new York when they host the Islanders on Saturday as betting favorites
- The Panthers have been dominant on home ice since last season, and face an Islanders squad looking to overcome recent road woes
- We’ve got you covered with all the odds and trends ahead of Saturday evening’s matchup at FLA Live Arena
The Florida Panthers will be aiming to halt a four-game losing streak against New York when they host the Islanders on Saturday as slender home favorites in the NHL odds.
The Panthers are coming off a narrow 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins in their home opener on Thursday, and have now earned the win in 14 of 16 regular season homes dates ahead of Saturday evening’s matchup at FLA Live Arena that is scheduled for puck drop at 6:00pm ET.
New York Islanders vs Florida Panthers Odds
| Game Time (ET) | Team | Puck Line | Total | Moneyline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday October 16 | New York Islanders | +1.5 (-235) | Ov 5.5 (-125) | +105 |
| 6:00pm | Florida Panthers | -1.5 (+190) | Un 5.5 (+105) | -125 |
Odds as of October 15th at DraftKings
Panthers a Force on Home Ice
The Panthers opened the new NHL campaign the same way they closed out the 2021 regular season, with a win on home ice. Things didn’t quite go as planned for the Panthers in their home opener. The club jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead before surrendering four unanswered goals, and needed a pair of late markers from Aaron Ekblad to force overtime and claim victory.
Consistent scoring has been the hallmark of Florida’s increasing dominance on home ice. The club has potted four or more goals on 11 occasions over their past 16 contests, and have been just effective playing defense, limiting opponents to two or fewer goals on 11 occasions during that same stretch. That has resulted in uneven results in totals betting, with the OVER currently on a middling 7-6-3 run.
Panthers lead 2-0.
Penguins tie it up 2-2.
Penguins lead 4-2.
Panthers tie it up 4-4.Panthers win 5-4 in OT.
Talk about a return to hockey! #TimeToHunt pic.twitter.com/xSnAV9D1lO
— David R (@David954FLA) October 15, 2021
Despite finishing their 2021 regular season schedule on a strong note, and third in the NHL with 37 wins, the Panthers open up the new season off the pace in the NHL futures. Florida enters the weekend in the middle of the pack as a +425 bet to win the Atlantic Division despite outpacing all their traditional divisional rivals last season. And while they are listed at a short -425 in the NHL playoff odds, a dismal playoff tracker leaves this club stalled at a distant +1800 the NHL lines to win the Stanley Cup.
The Panthers can certainly help themselves on Saturday by flipping the script on their recent struggles against the islanders. In addition to their current four-game losing streak against New York in regular season action, the club also fell to the islanders in four games in a qualifying round series clash at the outset of the 2020 NHL postseason.
New York Islanders vs Florida Recent Regular Season Results
| Date | Score | Home Team Odds | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| December 12, 2019 | Islanders 3 at Panthers 1 | -130 | UNDER 6.0 |
| November 9, 2019 | Panthers 1 at Islanders 2 | -110 | UNDER 6.0 |
| October 12, 2019 | Panthers 2 at Islanders 3 | -115 | UNDER 5.5 |
| April 4, 2019 | Islanders 2 at Panthers 1 | -105 | UNDER 5.5 |
| November 10, 2018 | Islanders 2 at Panthers 4 | -180 | PUSH 6.0 |
Can Islanders Put Road Woes Behind Them?
Despite their lengthy record of success against Florida, the Islanders can ill afford to look past the Panthers when they hit the ice on Saturday as +105 underdogs. The Islanders are also coming off a stellar 2020 NHL campaign in which they came within one win of a berth in the Stanley Cup Final. However, the club looked like anything but a contender in their season opener on Thursday night, a lopsided 6-3 road loss to the Carolina Hurricanes.
Islanders blown away by Hurricanes in season opener https://t.co/laZXNUPwOj pic.twitter.com/jlRDJzibbr
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) October 15, 2021
The Islanders struck first in Thursday’s clash, but had no answer for the Hurricanes, who quickly took control of the contest while outshooting New York by a wide 41-28 margin. The loss is a harsh reminder of the struggles the islanders endured on the road last season. The islanders closed out their schedule with an 11-13-4 away record, worst among teams advancing to the postseason, and have now posted wins in just two of 11 regular season road games since late March.
The upside for the Islanders is the performance of the team’s top lines in Thursday’s loss. Kyle Palmieri led the way with a pair of assists, while Mat Barzal, Anders Lee, and Brock nelson supplied the goals. However, the penalty kill failed to get it done with the game on the line, allowing a pair of third-period markers that put the game out of reach. That’s a concern this team must quickly address against a Panthers attack that ranked fifth in the NHL in power play goals last season.
The Picks: Panthers (-125); OVER 5.5 (-125)
Sports Writer
Daniel has been writing about sports and sports betting for over 23 years. The seasoned pro has contributed to the likes of Sports Illustrated, Sportsnet, NESN, Bleacher Report, OddsShark, the Globe and Mail, and The Nation magazine.
