The New York Islanders and Boston Bruins face off in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup playoffs series on Monday night.
The Bruins won Game 1 in dominant fashion and oddsmakers are expecting another win for the Bs, installing them as -190 home favorites for tonight's Memorial Day contest.
Here are our best free Islanders vs. Bruins picks and predictions for NHL betting action on Monday, May 31, with the puck dropping at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Islanders vs Bruins game info
• Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Date: Monday, May 31, 2021
• Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
• TV: SN1, NBCSN
Islanders vs Bruins odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NHL Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonThe -200 Bruins are getting the majority of the action at FanDuel, as the home favorites are pulling in 76 percent of moneyline bets and 79 percent of the money. Bettors are leaning on the Over with the total set at 5.5 (+128), with 63 percent of bets on the Over, which is taking in 60 percent of the money.
Check out the full line movement for this gameIslanders vs Bruins series odds
Islanders: +330
Bruins: -455
Islanders vs Bruins betting preview
Injuries
Islanders: Oliver Wahlstrom RW (Doubtful), Anders Lee LW (Out).
Bruins: Kevan Miller D (Out), Jakub Zboril D (Out), Craig Smith RW (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Under is 24-8-2 in the Islanders' last 34 road games. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Bruins.
Moneyline pick
The Bruins were very impressive in Game 1 of this series, outshooting the Isles 40-22 and winning 5-2 (with an empty-netter) in front of a raucous crowd of 17,400 at TD Garden.
Ilya Sorokin was in nets for New York in Game 1 and while he was far from the only problem, Isles coach Barry Trotz could opt to go with veteran Semyon Varlamov tonight.
Don't forget that while Sorokin looked better than Varlamov in the first round against the Penguins, Varlamov was banged up in that series and was one of the best goalies in the league during the regular season, going 19-11-2 with a 2.04 goals-against average and a save percentage of .929.
The Islanders started strong against Boston this season, winning each of the first five head-to-head matchups, but things have swung in Boston's favor as Saturday's Game 1 win marked the Bruins' fourth straight victory over New York. Although the Islanders have played significantly better on offense at home than on the road, they can't afford to wait until Game 3 to pick things up on that end of the ice.
The Isles looked very good in the first round against Pittsburgh, defeating the East Division winners in six games and averaging 3.67 goals during the series. While Boston has also looked great recently, there's plenty of value in backing the Isles to bounce back and win as a +180 underdog tonight.
PREDICTION: Islanders (+180)
Over/Under pick
The Bruins generated 12 high-danger chances in 5v5 play during Game 1. However, they averaged just 8.84 high-danger chances per 60 minutes in 5v5 play during the regular season, while the Isles ranked fourth in the league with 8.63 HDCA/60 — don't expect as many scoring chances for Boston this time around.
That said, the Isles aren't exactly an offensive juggernaut themselves, finishing the regular season 21st in the league with 2.71 goals per game.
The key to New York's success has been defense and goaltending, as the Isles ranked second in the league in goals allowed per game with 2.23. The Bruins weren't far behind them, ranking fifth with 2.39 goals allowed per game while No. 1 netminder Tuukka Rask posted a 2.28 GAA.
The Isles have been an Under bettors dream, going 24-8-2 to the Under in their last 34 games on the road, while the Bruins have gone 12-5-1 to the Under in their previous 18 playoff contests as a favorite.
With the Under also going 11-5-4 in the last 20 meetings between these Eastern Conference foes, back it again.
PREDICTION: Under 5 (+110)
Islanders vs Bruins betting card
- Islanders ML (+180)
- Under 5 (+110)
Picks made on 5/31/2021 at 11:15 a.m. ET
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