NHL betting returns as the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers face off in a Qualifying Round matchup to determine which team will advance to the NHL playoffs. This best-of-five series is the closest matchup in this round when it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs odds, as the Islanders and Panthers are in a dead heat at -118 apiece, so sportsbooks are expecting a close battle to get into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
We break down NHL odds as we bring you free NHL picks and predictions for the play-in series between the New York Islanders and Florida Panthers.
Islanders vs Panthers Qualifying Round Odds
| Team | Odds to win the series |
|---|---|
| New York Islanders | -118 |
| Florida Panthers | -118 |
Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction
New York Islanders
New York Islanders Stanley Cup Odds +5,000
The Islanders got off to a hot start this season, rolling to a 25-10-3 record through their first 38 games. But things did not go as smoothly for the Isles once the calendar flipped over to 2020: From January 1 up until to the COVID-19 shutdown the Isles went just 10-13-7. And they really struggled away from home during that stretch, picking up just three wins in 14 road games.
A big reason for their struggles was the offense drying up. New York is one of the lowest-scoring teams playing in the Qualifying Round and they’ll need to find their scoring touch on the road if they want to advance.
New York will need to rely on Mathew Barzal, Anders Lee and Brock Nelson to put up points, but if the Isles are going to win, it will be because of their ability to prevent goals — led by goalie Semyon Varlamov, the Isles allow just 2.79 goals per game.
New York Islanders betting trends
- New York scored the second-fewest away goals (77) in the NHL this season.
- The Islanders have scored the second-most goals in the league with their goalie pulled.
- The Under went 9-4 in the Islanders' last 13 games of the regular season.
Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers Stanley Cup Odds +4,000
With a win in the qualifying round, the Panthers would advance to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. Florida has been a bit inconsistent in Joel Quenneville’s first season behind the bench in Sunrise, which was on perfect display in 2020, where the Panthers went 8-2 in January, but followed that up by going 7-10-3 in February and March.
The Panthers rank sixth in the league in goal-scoring, as Mike Hoffman, Evgenii Dadonov, Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov and Noel Acciari all notched at least 20 tallies this season, but their Achilles heel has been defense, where they rank 29th in goals allowed per game.
Florida spent a fortune in the offseason on goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, but he's been wildly disappointing as he's put up a career-worst 3.23 GAA and pedestrian .900 save percentage.
He will need to play like the Vezina Trophy candidate (and winner) he was the previous three seasons if the Panthers want to advance. If he continues to struggle, the Panthers could ignore his massive salary and look to backup Chris Driedger, who has posted a 2.05 GAA and .938 save percentage this season.
Florida Panthers betting trends
- Florida is fourth in the league in five-on-five goals this season.
- The Panthers rank 20th in first-period scoring, but are third and sixth in second and third-period scoring.
- The Panthers have the eighth-most wins this season when trailing after two periods.
Islanders vs Panthers Head-to-Head Comparison
| New York Islanders | Tale of the Tape | Florida Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| 35-23-10 | Record | 35-26-8 |
| 29-36 | O/U | 38-30 |
| 2.78 | Goals Per Game | 3.30 |
| 2.79 | Goals Allowed Per Game | 3.25 |
| 17.26 | Power Play Percentage | 21.23 |
| 80.68 | Penalty Kill Percentage | 78.49 |
Islanders vs Panthers Picks and Predictions
Series Prediction: Florida Panthers -118 – The Islanders won all three meetings with the Panthers this season, but all three games were close: a 3-2 shootout win at the Nassau Coliseum, a 2-1 win at the Barclays Center and a 3-1 win in Florida. But all of those games came prior to Christmas, so a lot has changed since then.
And hey, if there’s an NHL team out there that knows how to play in front of no fans, it should be the Panthers right? Jokes aside, this is a classic offense-versus-defense matchup that appears to be quite even. Both have excellent coaching and while you normally give the edge to the team with the better goalie - right now the Islanders - Bobrovsky's track record shows he can get hot at any time.
It's unlikely either team’s conditioning will be 100 percent and in that scenario, I give the edge to the better offensive team: the Panthers.
More NHL Qualifying Round picks and predictions
Under the NHL's special return to play format, there are eight best-of-five Qualifying Round matchups preceding the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Check out our best picks and predictions for all the other series that are scheduled to take place when NHL action resumes:
Western Conference
- Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks
- Nashville Predators vs. Arizona Coyotes
- Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild
- Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets
Eastern Conference
- Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens
- Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers
- Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
Where can I bet on NHL Playoffs odds?
Most online books and casinos offer bets on the Stanley Cup Playoffs and should offer odds on this special Qualifying Round. Check out the best sportsbooks available where you live and see what they are offering for NHL Playoffs odds.
