The New York Islanders (5-4-2) travel to meet the Tampa Bay Lightning (7-3-3) Monday at Amalie Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Below, we look at the Islanders vs. Lightning odds and lines, and make our expert NHL picks, predictions and bets.
The Islanders have been off since Thursday when they were quieted by the New Jersey Devils in Newark by a 4-0 count. The Isles have dropped the past two games, outscored by a 9-2 margin.
The Lightning edged the Florida Panthers 3-2 in overtime Saturday, improved to 5-0-2 across the past seven. The last loss in regulation was Oct. 25 in Buffalo, of all places.
Islanders at Lightning odds, spread and lines
Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:35 a.m. ET.
- Money line: Islanders +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Lightning -145 (bet $145 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Islanders +1.5 (-230) | Lightning -1.5 (+170)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +115 | U: -145)
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Islanders at Lightning projected goalies
Ilya Sorokin (5-3-2, 2.18 GAA, .933 SV%, 3 SO) vs. Andrei Vasilevskiy (6-2-3, 2.31 GAA, .921 SV%)
Sorokin has posted shutouts in three of his past six starts. He allowed four goals on 34 shots last time out in New Jersey Thursday. In a strange quirk, all 10 of his starts have come on the road this season.
Each of Vasilevskiy’s past three starts have ended up going to overtime, with a win against the Panthers last time out Saturday. Before that he was on the short end of a pair of 2-1 overtime setbacks.
Islanders at Lightning odds, lines, picks and predictions
Prediction
Lighting 3, Islanders 2
Money line
The LIGHTNING (-145) are a solid play on home ice. While the Islanders (+120) have been getting tremendous goaltending lately, and that’s reason for concern, the defending champs have a pretty good tendy themselves.
Against the spread
The Islanders +1.5 (-230) will cost you more than two times your potential return if you want a little bit of insurance on the puck line. You can’t trust the Lightning -1.5 (+170), as two of their past three wins have been by one goal.
PASS.
Over/Under
The UNDER 5.5 (-145) is the lean here, as the total has gone Under at a 7-2-1 clip across the past 10 games overall for the Islanders. The Under is also 4-1-2 in the past seven for New York against winning teams.
The Under has also cashed in four of the past five for the Lightning, while going 5-2-3 in the past 10 meetings in this series, too.
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