The Florida Panthers (15-15-4) and New York Islanders (18-13-2) meet on Long Island Friday night on the last day of the NHL schedule before the holiday break. It is one of 12 NHL games on a busy evening.
Both teams have been trending down lately, heading into Friday’s Panthers vs. Islanders picks. The Islanders are 3-5-2 in their last ten games and have fallen out of a playoff spot, while the Panthers are 4-6 in their last ten games and are now sixth in the NHL standings for the Atlantic Division.
The Islanders played last night against the New York Rangers, while the Panthers are coming off a 4-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils.
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders Odds
BetOnline has the Panthers as the betting favorites in the Panthers vs. Islanders picks. Florida is paying out -120 on the moneyline, while the Islanders are listed at +109. The Florida Panthers odds on the -1.5 puckline are +205. The Islanders are paying out -245 on the +1.5 puckline in terms of NHL odds.
The over/under for the game is 6.5, with the over and under paying out +107 and -118, respectively.
Matchup Information
Date and Time: December 23, 2022, 7:30 p.m. ET
Venue: UBS Arena
Location: Belmont Park, New York
How to Watch: Bally Sports Florida, MSG/MSG+
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders Betting Preview
Expected to be a top team this season, the Panthers have been wildly inconsistent. Matthew Tkachuk, acquired during the offseason for Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar, has been really good and leads the team in NHL player stats with 39 points in 31 games, but team defense and depth scoring has been an issue.
Aleksander Barkov, surprisingly, has just 22 points in 25 games and was recently injured during a game last week against the Devils. They’re missing Anthony Duclair, however, who has been on the NHL injury report all season with an Achilles injury. He just began skating last week.
The Panthers are tied for 10th in the league in goals scored at 3.29 per game, but the power play hasn’t been clicking as it has a 19 percent efficiency, good enough for 26th in the league. Florida is 21st in goals allowed at 3.35 per game. They’re 7-10 on the road this season.
The Islanders, unlike the Panthers, weren’t among the NHL picks to have a strong season in 2022-23. However, they were a top-three team in the Metropolitan Division for quite some time before their recent slump, which includes losses to the Arizona Coyotes, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes. The NY Islanders’ schedule gets a little easier after the break as they play the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Seattle Kraken, and Vancouver Canucks.
New York has largely won with team defense and goaltending. They rank just 17th in goals scored at 3.15 but are eighth in the NHL in goals allowed at 2.73. Brock Nelson leads the Islanders in scoring with 33 points, while Mathew Barzal is second with 31 points.
Starting Goaltenders
Sergei Bobrovsky (FLA) – While he hasn’t been a Vezina-caliber goaltender in quite some time, Bobrovsky has been playing a little better as of late. He owns a 7-10-1 record with a 3.25 goals-against average (GAA) and .895 save percentage on the season but has allowed just eight goals in his last four games. He allowed three in a loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night.
Semyon Varlamov (NYI) – The Islanders have one of the best goaltending duos among all NHL teams in Semyon Varlamov and Ilya Sorokin. Varlamov is likely to start in the Panthers vs. Islanders picks. He is 8-3-1 with a 2.65 GAA and a .919 save percentage.
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders Betting Prediction
The Panthers are really slumping lately and haven’t been helped by their goaltending. New York is 9-6 at home but won’t have fresh legs after playing the Rangers last night. Add in the fact that the Panthers have won the last five games against the Islanders, and it’s a good idea to bet the favorites when making NHL picks and parlays.
NHL Pick: Florida Panthers -120
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