Jets vs. Islanders Odds
| Jets Odds | +105 |
| Islanders Odds | -130 |
| Over/Under | 6 (+100 / -120) |
| Time | 7:30 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via BetMGM. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Central Division's sixth-place Winnipeg Jets travel to New York on Friday to take on the Metropolitan Division's sixth-place Islanders.
This is the second meeting between these teams this season, as the Islanders won, 2-0, in an early November matchup.
That said, will the Islanders take care of business again or can the Jets pull off the road upset? Let's take a look.
Winnipeg Jets
The Jets enter this contest on the second half of a road back-to-back set following Thursday's matchup against the New Jersey Devils. This game will be the their third game in the last four days.
Winnipeg has had a tough go this season when priced as a road underdog as it's just 3-10 over their last 13 games in such situations. Much of the club's troubles have been attributed to its poor defensive play.
This season, the Jets rank 26th in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes. Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck will try to bail out the defense, as he's the confirmed starter for this matchup.
Hellebuyck has struggled away from Winnipeg, going just 1-9 over his last 10 road starts when priced as an underdog. Hellebuyck's play has really slipped of late with his dreadful 0.860 save percentage over his last five starts.
New York Islanders
The Islanders enter this contest on the second half of a back-to-back set after Thursday's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ilya Sorokin started in goal on Thursday, so we should expect to see Semyon Varlamov between the pipes against the Jets.
Varlamov has fared extremely well when playing on home ice, as his save percentage jumps up to 0.917 when starting at UBS Arena. New York will also have the blue-line advantage over the Jets, as the Islanders rank 17th in the league in 5-on-5 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA) this season.
The Islanders win the games they are supposed to when playing at UBS Arena. When priced as a home favorite, the Islanders are 8-3 in their last 11 games.
Jets vs. Islanders Pick
The Islanders have dominated this matchup over the past few seasons, winning the last four games against the Jets. Varlamov has been seeing the puck well lately, while Hellebuyck's season has started to fall off the tracks.
With the home-ice advantage, I like New York to take care of business against Winnipeg for the second time this season.
Pick: New York ML (-130 | play to -135)
