Matthew Schaefer and the Islanders will head to a house of horrors Thursday night.
The Isles haven’t won in Nashville since Oct. 28, 2017, a span that stretches six games and four head coaches.
A few weeks ago, the Islanders would likely be the favorite to win this game, but the Preds have turned their season around with a 13-7 stretch to pull themselves to .500 and within four points of a playoff spot.
All of this adds up to the Predators standing as a slight -122 favorite Thursday.
Islanders vs. Predators odds, prediction
Nashville looked destined for the lottery at Thanksgiving.
The Predators were holding fort in the NHL’s basement, and Barry Trotz’s roster construction was coming under fire as his high-profile veterans Steven Stamkos, Ryan O’Reilly, Brady Skjei and Jonathan Marchessault, were failing to deliver wins.
Things shifted for the Preds since Thanksgiving, however, and thanks to a mediocre Western Conference, Nashville is playing meaningful games to start the second half of the campaign.
There is a caveat, though.
As encouraging as the results have been lately, the numbers still show a lot to be desired for the Preds.
Nashville ranks 29th in the NHL in 5-on-5 goal differential and 21st in expected goal rate over its last 10 games, signaling that the Preds are getting by with timely scoring and clutch goaltending more than anything else.
The Preds also tend to play a pretty high-event style of hockey, with plenty of shot attempts and scoring chances at both ends of the ice.
That approach will be welcomed with open arms by the Islanders, who have proven to be a team most comfortable in frenetic contests.
Long gone are the days when the Isles want to drag their opponents into the mud. They want to press the pace and allow their speed to take over.
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With that in mind, it seems like the betting market is overrating the Preds a little bit based on a hot streak built on smoke and mirrors more than anything else.
The Isles are a decent bet at plus-money.
The Play: Islanders +102 (DraftKings)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
