Upcoming Match-ups

Islanders vs Hurricanes Odds, Picks and Predictions

Chris Wassel

by Chris Wassel in NHL Hockey

Updated Oct 14, 2021 · 11:35 AM PDT

Sebastian Aho preparing for faceoff
Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) faces off against the Tampa Bay Lightning during the second period in Game 5 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup second-round playoff series in Raleigh, N.C., Tuesday, June 8, 2021. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
  • The Islanders and Hurricanes meet in the season opener for both teams on Thursday night starting at 7pm ET
  • Frederik Andersen is expected to start against Ilya Sorokin in this much-hyped matchup
  • Read below for the NHL odds, game preview, and betting pick

The New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes renew acquaintances as their 2021-22 NHL season begins.

Their opener will be played on Thursday, October 14th (7pm ET) at PNC Arena and will be broadcast on BSSO, TVAS, and MSG+.

Carolina is listed as slight -125 home favorites to win their season opener.

Will the Carolina Hurricanes win as expected or will the New York Islanders prevail on the road?

Islanders vs Hurricanes Odds 

Team Moneyline Spread Total
New York Islanders +105 +1.5 (-240) O 5.5 (-110)
Carolina Hurricanes -125 -1.5 (+195) U 5.5 (-110)

Odds as of October 13th at DraftKings.

Could There Be Some More NHL Odds Movement Here?

This answer could be a yes as the game between these two teams has wobbled in the NHL odds at least a little bit. It has been hovering between -125 and -135 on the moneyline in favor of the Hurricanes. The two top lines have been something most have looked for all training camp. For the Hurricanes, a look at new forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi will be interesting. How he meshes in the Carolina top six is essential to their success.

That line placement seems to indicate they are going to give the Finnish winger a shot to play with Sebastian Aho, his countryman. Having Martin Necas on that line will give Kotkaniemi a little easier time as well. He won’t have to be the guy on that line. He will just have to cash in on his opportunities. New York will have a challenge with that line, especially without Matt Martin sidelines with an ankle injury.

Even with that tidbit, the good news is that there should be no extreme shifts in these NHL odds.

Carolina and the Stanley Cup?

At first, there were some questions about what their Stanley Cup Odds would look like.  Remember, this is a team that exchanged their goaltending for some slightly older parts and lost Dougie Hamilton in free agency to New Jersey. That was expected to impact their NHL playoff chances and NHL odds as well.

Carolina has been pretty good in season openers of late but they now stand at +2500 to raise Lord Stanley’s Cup early next summer. They were around +1400 before free agency started. So, there are some questions but they are among the top 10. If the Hurricanes expect to shorten those odds and win the Metropolitan Division, there is one team they will have to get past — the Islanders.

Are the Hurricanes going to drop off from last season? That answer appears to be no. It will be their goaltending that plays a vital role. Can Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta hold down the fort like Petr Mrazek and Alex Nedeljkovic did? If they can, Carolina possesses enough scoring and depth to contend for the division and maybe even a deep playoff run. If they do not, Carolina could be in some trouble.

 Islanders vs Hurricanes Last Five Meetings

Date Result
3/7/2020 Carolina 3-2 (OT)
2/11/2020 Carolina 2-1 (SO)
10/11/2019 Carolina 5-2
5/3/2019 Carolina 5-2
5/1/2019 Carolina 5-2

 *Because of the divisional format last season, the Islanders and Hurricanes did not face each other.

Best Bet

New York is nearly an even bet to upend the Hurricanes on the road Thursday night. NHL betting lines have 58% of the money on Carolina both on the moneyline and ATS. With their top-6, being at home, and clicking at a top-5 level on the power play, that is understandable.

For New York, only Matt Martin and Semyon Varlamov are missing among significant players. Currently, it does appear the Islanders have unfinished business, according to Barry Trotz. That makes a tough game even tougher. These two teams are among the best in the Eastern Conference and our NHL pick Thursday night is to take the Hurricanes on the moneyline and New York to cover the spread.

Pick: Hurricanes Moneyline (-125)

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