The Vancouver Canucks will look to pick up their second win in as many nights as they host the New York Islanders after dropping the Coyotes 5-1 last night. The Canucks got some offensive support from their big guns in the victory but can they repeat that performance against a New York team that has posted a 2.25 GAA since the beginning of the calendar year?
Is this line a little short on the Islanders who come in fully rested? Can the Canucks hit the Over for a second straight night with a total of 5? Find out in our free NHL betting picks and predictions for Islanders vs. Canucks.
Islanders vs Canucks odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Islanders opened as slight -115 road favorites and have moved to -120. Some books opened the total at 5.5 but it has settled at 5 and will likely close there. These two clubs have not faced each other in over two seasons.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Islanders vs Canucks predictions
Predictions made on 2/09/2022 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
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Islanders vs Canucks game info
• Location: Rogers Arena, Vancouver, AB
• Date: Wednesday, February 9, 2022
• Puck drop: 10:30 p.m. ET
• TV: TNT
Islanders vs Canucks betting preview
Key injuries
Islanders: Kyle Palmieri F (Out).
Canucks: Quinn Hughes D (Out), Travis Hamonic D (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Islanders vs Canucks head-to-head record (since 2016)
Islanders: 6-4 SU, 40 goals for.
Canucks: 4-6 SU, 26 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Canucks are 1-5 SU in their last six games following a win. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Canucks.
Islanders vs Canucks picks and predictions
Our predictions are compiled from the analysis of the spread and total and are indications of where we are leaning for this game.
Our best bet is the play that we like the most for this game, which we would actually put some of our bankroll behind.
Moneyline analysis
The Canucks came out of the restart with an easy match versus the Coyotes in which they convincingly won 5-1 but lost the expected goal battle 2.13 to 2.00, per Money Puck. Thatcher Demko stopped 35 of 36 shots but will likely watch from the bench tonight with backup Jaroslav Halak possible to start.
Halak has made just two starts since December 30 and has performed well, having allowed just two total goals. But with the lack of reps for the 36-year-old goalie, expecting another solid performance is asking a lot. The Coyotes had plenty of O-zone action last night and the 5-1 victory is a little misleading.
The Islanders are one of the best defensive teams in hockey. They have the second-best GAA since January 1 and with the Canucks managing just 2.00 xGoals versus Arizona last night, Vancouver could find itself struggling to score against a team that sits second in expected goals against at 5-on-5.
New York also comes into this game fresh and gets the advantage of starting its road trip in Vancouver. The Islanders will be without Kyle Palmieri, which isn’t a huge loss as the winger has zero points over his last 15 games. The loss of defenseman Quinn Hughes creates a big hole for the Canucks as he is second on the team in points, first in power-play points, and plays over 25 minutes per game.
New York is just 7-5 SU since January 1 and 7-10 SU on the road on the season, but facing low-scoring teams like the Canucks provides a good matchup for the visitors who rank just ahead of the Coyotes in 5-on-5 xGoals at even strength. This will not be a shootout and the total of 5 indicates that, but this -120 line could be a few points shy considering the schedule. If Vancouver were in New York, this line would look more like Islanders -180.
The Islanders have the advantage in net and certainly with the schedule with the Canucks on the second half of a back-to-back. Hughes being on the shelf is a big loss for the home side. And while their win last night was thanks to the play of Demko, he'll likely be on the bench tonight.
Prediction: Islanders ML (-120)
Over/Under analysis
The Canucks saw a closing total of 5 last night versus Arizona while the Islanders’ last game versus the Kraken also saw a closing total of 5. Although the final last night in Vancouver was 5-1, there were only 4.12 xGoals produced and Coyotes goalie Karel Vejmelka was not sharp.
New York sits 31st in xGoals for at 5-on-5 but also second in xGoals against. There is a reason New York sees more 5 totals than anyone else. The Islanders are 14-24-1 O/U on the season and they have seen plenty of low-scoring games.
Since the Christmas restart, the Canucks offense has produced just 2.44 goals per game, which is a Bottom-6 number. Combine that with a GAA of 2.19 and Vancouver has the lowest total goal rate per game at 4.63 goals since Christmas. The power play will be limited without its quarterback in Hughes while the Islanders own a Top-10 penalty kill.
It’s unclear who will start for the Islanders, but Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin are playing at the same level of late so there's no real concern about who gets the nod. Halak has looked incredible over his two previous starts and the Canucks rank in the Top 15 in most defensive 5-on-5 metrics.
There is nothing that gets us excited offensively in this game and both teams have consistently limited scoring on the season. We don’t usually hit the Under on 5s, but we are tonight.
Prediction: Under 5 (+110)
Best bet
We’re moving with the market and hitting the visitors as our best bet. This -120 Islanders ML is a little short, especially with Hughes' absence and the Canucks playing on the back-to-back.
Halak was +110 on the ML in Chicago in his last start and +122 at Los Angeles in the start before that. Vancouver closed as +140 underdogs at home versus the Oilers in late January and although Edmonton is the better team compared to the Islanders, there isn’t a 60-point difference between the two clubs. The Islanders have been playing better hockey since their losing skid and things are finally back on track for the team that has made it to the Stanley Cup semifinals in back-to-back seasons. It’s the Islanders on the ML at -120 for us in this spot.
Pick: Islanders ML (-120)
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