Islanders vs Rangers Prediction, Odds & Starting Goalies (Saturday, Apr. 13)

• The New York Islanders and New York Rangers faceoff on Saturday afternoon
• The Saturday NHL odds favor the Rangers at home over their in-state rivals
• Read below for Islanders vs Rangers prediction, odds and starting goalies

The Battle of New York Will be renewed when the New York Islanders host the New York Rangers on Saturday afternoon. Puck drop is 12:30 PM ET at Madison Square Garden, with the action broadcast nationally on ABC.

According to the Saturday NHL odds, the Rangers are heavy home favorites, while the Islanders are road underdogs . The over/under is set at 5.5 for a potential goalie showdown between Igor Shesterkin and Ilya Sorokin.

Let’s get into our Islanders vs Rangers prediction as we analyze the odds and determine the best bets to make.

Islanders vs Rangers Odds

In the Saturday NHL odds, the Rangers are -165 moneyline favorites over Islanders, giving them an implied win probability of 62%.

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Odds as of Friday, April 12, 2024, at ESPN Sportsbook. Register with the ESPN Bet promo code to bet on Islanders vs Rangers.

Islanders Betting Analysis

The New York Islanders have worked their way into the NHL Playoff Bracket with an impressive 8-2 run in their past 10 games. Patrick Roy’s team has strung together six straight victories, including a 3-2 overtime win over the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday.

The Isles hold a three-point lead on the Pittsburgh Penguins for third place in the Metropolitan Division, along with a four-point gain on the Washington Capitals, Detroit Red Wings, and Philadelphia Flyers.

Bo Horvat has led the charge for the Isles this season, netting 33 goals and contributing 35 assists. Mat Barzal, meanwhile is heating up with two goals and eight assists over the last ten games. New York still only averages 2.96 goals per contest on the season (23rd).

New York’s confirmed starting goalie for Saturday is Ilya Sorokin. The 28-year-old Russian goalie is 24-19-11 this season with a .908 save percentage and 3.02 GAA. He has only faced the Rangers twice in his career, losing both games and posting a .841 save percentage.

A serious concern for the Islanders is the availability of defenseman Noah Dobson, who exited Thursday’s game due to an upper-body injury. His potential absence would be a big blow for an Islanders defense that is already allowing 3.18 goals per contest (20th).

Rangers Betting Analysis

The Rangers enter Saturday’s game having lost two straight games in regulation for the first time since mid-January.  New York is coming off a 4-1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday in which Artemi Panarin tallied the lone goal and Jonathan Quick allowed four goals on 27 shots.

The Rangers still remain a top favorite in the 2024 Stanley Cup odds, as they boast one of the league’s best records. New York is top-10 in both offense (3.40 GF/GP) and defense (2.80 GA/GP).

Bring the intensity. pic.twitter.com/4qGQYcPfan

— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) April 13, 2024

Dynamic forward Artemi Panarin leads the Rangers with 47 goals and 68 assists this season, while Alexis Lafreniere is enjoying a breakout campaign. The young winger has been on a tear lately, scoring seven goals and adding four assists over the past ten games.

The Rangers projected starting goalie for Saturday is Igor Shesterkin, who is 34-17-2 with a .911 save percentage and 2.65 GAA this season. Shesterkin thrives playing his in-state rival, posting a 2-0-1 career record against the Isles. His .895 save percentage in those games could use improvement, however.

In terms of NHL injuries to note, the Rangers will be without Blake Wheeler and Filip Chytil due to lower-body and upper-body injuries, respectively.

Islanders vs Rangers Prediction

The Islanders are an intriguing road underdog given their recent stretch of play and heightened desperation level. However, when you dive into the metrics, the team hasn’t been all that impressive. The Isles have a 49.44 xGF% in the past month, which ranks only 20th in the league.

The Rangers’ third-ranked power played facing the Islanders’ last-ranked penalty kill could be the determining factor in this game. The Rangers have struck multiple times with the man advantage in three of the last five head-to-head meetings.

Here are a couple betting trends to keep in mind before wagering:

• Rangers are 4-0 in their last 4 Saturday games.
• Over is 7-1 in Rangers last 8 home games.

We like the Rangers to bounce back with a win at home on Saturday. They are the more talented club and will be motivated to end their losing streak while delivering a blow to the Isles’ playoff hopes in the process. Furthermore, the Rangers want to set the tone for a potential first-round playoff matchup.

The blue and white have lost just 11 home games all season, and we think they rely on their power play and offensive firepower to get back on track against their rivals.

NYI vs NYR Pick:

• Rangers ML (-165)