Islanders vs. Avalanche Odds
| Islanders Odds | +158 |
| Avalanche Odds | -192 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -102o/ -120u |
Here's everything you need to know about Islanders vs. Avalanche on Tuesday, Jan. 2 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
These two teams squared off earlier this season in a high-scoring affair as Colorado won 7-4 at UBS Arena.
Will we see another offensive onslaught? Or can the goaltending step up this time around?
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make an Islanders vs. Avalanche prediction and pick.
New York Islanders
As he has habitually done since first putting on an Islanders jersey, goaltender Ilya Sorokin is playing spectacularly between the pipes.
Through 24 starts this season, Sorokin boasts a .912 SV% and 3.12 GAA.
His stats are also slightly weighed down to an uncharacteristically terrible outing against the Pittsburgh Penguins, a game in which he surrendered six goals on 25 shots. However, Sorokin has – predictably – rebounded well from that game.
Over his past two starts, he owns a stellar .953 SV% and 1.51 GAA. There were six or fewer total goals scored in each of those two games.
This success is likely to continue against the Avs, a team Sorokin has traditionally fared well against with a .928 SV% and 2.96 GAA through three career games. However, he may not get much goal support as New York ranks in the bottom third of the league in goals scored per game and shots on goal per game.
Colorado Avalanche
The Islanders' lack of offensive production could especially be troubling in this matchup against an Avs blue line that features the likes of Cale Makar and Devon Toews.
At 5-on-5, Colorado ranks in the top half of the league in expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60).
Backing up this strong defensive team is goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who is slated to guard the cage for the Avalanche on Tuesday evening.
It has been a bit of a tumultuous season for the Bulgarian netminder, but he is better than his .897 SV% suggests and has started to settle in recently.
Over his past seven starts, Georgiev is 5-1-1 with a .909 SV% and 2.42 GAA. He has allowed three or fewer goals in five of those seven outings and there have been six or fewer total goals scored in four of the seven.
That turnaround could continue against New York, a team he owns a .931 SV% and 2.11 GAA against over 14 career starts. There were six or fewer total goals scored in eight of those 14 games.
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Islanders vs. Avalanche
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Islanders' offense is not great to begin with, but a lot of its success has come on special teams as they boast the 11th-highest power-play percentage in the league.
However, that aspect of their offensive success is likely to be nullified in this matchup against an Avs team that ranks seventh in penalty kill percentage.
There is no doubt that the biggest concern with taking the under in this spot is Colorado's fast-paced offense. However, if any goaltender is up to the task of quelling it, it is Sorokin.
Additionally, we are catching a favorable number here because of Georgiev's inconsistencies this season. However, he has been seeing the puck well recently and should not be challenged too much by this New York offense.
I like the Under at 6, which is available under the "Total Goals (Flat Line)" tab at FanDuel, which is available at (+106) odds. That number is the longest in the market at the time of writing, albeit by only one cent.
For our more risk-averse bettors, I believe there is also value in Under 6.5 at (-120) odds if you wish to go that route.
Pick: Under 6 (+106 at FanDuel | Play to +100)
