Ducks vs. Islanders Odds
| Ducks Odds | +184 |
| Islanders Odds | -225 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 +112/ -138 |
Here's everything you need to know about Ducks vs. Islanders on Wednesday, Dec. 13 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
The Ducks and Islanders enter this contest on opposite trajectories with Anaheim losing nine of its past 10 games and New York winning seven of its past 10.
Will the Islanders take care of business as large home favorites, or can the Ducks pull off the upset?
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Ducks vs. Islanders prediction and pick.
Anaheim Ducks
Yes, the Ducks are not a good hockey team, but they are better than they have been playing this month. Each of their past four losses has come in very competitive games and were just a few bad bounces away from going the other direction.
Now is the time to buy low on Anaheim for several reasons.
First, the offense is due for positive regression. The Ducks rank 28th in the league in goals scored per game but 22nd in Expected Goals For per 60 minutes (xGF/60) at 5-on-5.
If their scoring picks up, then the Ducks should be live in this contest given that goaltender John Gibson will start between the pipes. As has been the case ever since he was drafted by Anaheim in 2011, the Ducks' woes are not his fault.
Through 19 appearances in the crease this season, Gibson boasts a .906 save percentage (SV%) and 2.83 Goals Against Average (GAA)
New York Islanders
While the Islanders currently sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division, they aren't as good of a team as that suggests. Not only am I looking to buy low on Anaheim, but I'm also looking to sell high on the Islanders.
Unless New York faces Chicago or San Jose, the Islanders shouldn't be laying north of two dollars against anybody. A majority of New York's goal production has come on special teams, and that is one of the areas where the Ducks have actually fared well this year.
Furthermore, the Islanders are due for regression defensively. They rank 15th in the league in goals allowed per game but 28th in Expected Goals Against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at 5-on-5, a mark that is even lower than Anaheim.
Part of this disparity is due to the excellent goaltending New York has gotten from both Ilya Sorokin and Semyon Varlamov, but if this game turns into a goaltending battle, then I have enough confidence in Gibson to keep up.
Ducks vs. Islanders
Betting Pick & Prediction
It is Varlamov's turn in the rotation, and the Islanders are expected to start him on Wednesday.
That is good news for Ducks backers because, while Varlamov's stats are even stronger than Sorokin's, he is not the better netminder and is due for regression.
Sign up with our BetMGM bonus code before you make a wager on the Ducks Moneyline +200.
That regression could come to fruition against the Ducks, a team he has historically struggled against. He is winless over his past four starts against Anaheim, posting a fade-worthy .865 SV% and 4.21 GAA in the process.
We are catching a great number with the Ducks at +200 via BetMGM, a mark that is five-to-16 cents longer than the rest of the market. Anaheim wins more than 33.33% of the time in this spot, which is what that number implies.
Pick: Ducks ML (+200 at BetMGM) | Play to +190
