The newly re-tooled Boston Bruins will host the New York Islanders on Thursday in what will be the first game of a back-to-back set.
The Bruins hope the addition of Taylor Hall will help them finally beat a New York Islanders squad they are 0-5 SU against this season. Boston will also likely have the services of goalie Tuukka Rask, who has been out since March 25.
Here are our free picks and predictions for New York Islanders vs Boston Bruins for Thursday, April 15 (7:00 p.m. ET).
Islanders vs Bruins odds
Odds via the Covers Line, an average comprised of odds from multiple sportsbooks.
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NHL sharp money and line movement report
By Patrick EversonThere's been almost no movement on the moneyline at TwinSpires, as Boston is down a penny from -121 to -120 at 4 p.m. ET. It's two-way action, with the Bruins taking 58 percent of bets and the Islanders drawing 60 percent of cash. The total dropped from 5.5 to 5, at a current price of Over -130, with 55 percent of tickets on the Under and 73 percent of money on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameIslanders at Bruins betting preview
Injuries
Islanders: Anders Lee F (Out), Braydon Coburn D (Out).
Bruins: Jaroslav Halak G (Out), Brandon Carlo D (Out), Matt Grzelcyk D (Questionable).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting trend to know
The Bruins are 2-10 SU in their last 12 games following a win. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Bruins.
Moneyline pick
Now that the Bruins have Taylor Hall, is it their turn to underachieve? Hall has never brought a lot of winning success wherever he has gone, with stops in Edmonton, New Jersey, Arizona and Buffalo. Playing on a Bruins second line that lacks offensive talent may also not be the best environment for a former Hart Trophy winner who has just two goals this year and is a shell of his former self.
The New York Islanders have dominated the Boston Bruins in 2021, taking all five of the matchups this year and outscoring the Bruins 18-8. Boston has managed to score more than two goals just once in any of the meetings. Since the last time the B’s saw the Islanders (a 4-3 loss), Boston has gone just 6-5 SU and has struggled to string wins together.
The Hall acquisition is big news, but Tuukka Rask likely suiting up is the headliner. Rask has been out since exiting after the first period on March 25 against, coincidentally, the Islanders. Rask is an upgrade to the rookie goalie tandem the B’s were running with but Rask was 8-6 SU before the injury and wasn’t in top form this year. The Boston starter is 0-4 SU against the Islanders and Capitals this season — the division’s top-two teams.
Semyon Varlamov will likely get the start in net for the Isles, with the backup getting the second game of the back-to-back. The Russian goalie is just 6-7 SU on the road this year but owns a 2.23 GAA to go along with a .917 save percentage. He’s better at home, but he’s still an above-average goalie when traveling.
Varlamov has picked up each of the five wins against the Bruins this season and has allowed just eight goals (six at even strength) with a shutout in those five victories. Varly will be heading into Thursday’s match with a ton of confidence.
Despite the Hall acquisition, we feel Boston is still an overvalued team. When a team has dominated the season series like the Islanders have and are paying +100, this one is a no-brainer for us. With an expected low-scoring game (total opening at 5), we’re taking the value on the road dog who should keep this game competitive.
PREDICTION: Islanders ML (+100)
Over/Under pick
It’s not often we get a total of 5, but Thursday’s matchup is one of those days. On the season, the Bruins are 2-0 O/U on totals of 5 while the Islanders have seen that total more often and are 4-0-1 O/U in 2021. A 2-2 game is at least a push and even with a 2-1 or 3-1 game, we get empty-net chances to hit the five. We're confident each team can pot at least a pair of goals.
Rask hasn’t seen NHL action in over six weeks, and despite practicing with the team for more than a week, is still coming in rusty. The Bruins’ No. 1 wasn’t enjoying his best season before going down and owns a 2.40 GAA with a very average .907 save percentage. His goals saved/60 and expected save percentage are also league average.
The Islanders are a different team on the road than at home. On home ice, they are giving up 2.09 goals per game but that number jumps to 2.55 on the road. Varlamov hasn’t posted a save percentage higher than .909 over his last four road games. He’s also given up 22 road goals in seven games against the division’s three best teams.
The Bruins have been taking penalties at a high rate over this month (4.43 per game over eight games) which is not great considering their PK is allowing goals at a 29 percent over that stretch. Only six other teams have a worse PK in April.
The Islanders' offense hasn't been great over their last five games (11 goals), but the addition of former Devil Kyle Palmieri is already paying off, as the former 30-goal scorer netted a PP goal in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Rangers. Palmieri played on the third line (and PP) and really rounds out New York's top-three scoring lines. It's the deepest offensively the team has been in a while.
This isn’t the KHL nor the NHL playoffs. If you give us an NHL total of 5 we’re going to hit the Over nine times out of 10 and Thursday is no exception.
PREDICTION: Over 5 (-135)
Islanders vs Bruins betting card
- Islanders ML (+100)
- Over 5 (-135)
Picks made on 04/15/2021 at 5:20 a.m. ET.
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