If you were engaging in some NHL betting last night, you were likely on the edge of your seat with six games going into overtime, including the matchup between the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers, in which Philly eked out a 3-2 victory.
Can the Islanders even the score tonight? We let you know as we look to beat the NHL odds with our best NHL picks and predictions for Sunday, January 31, with the puck dropping at 7 p.m. ET.
New York Islanders at Philadelphia Flyers Betting Preview
Injuries
Islanders: Anthony Beauvillier (Out), Johnny Boychuk D (Out).
Flyers: Sean Couturier C (Out), Morgan Frost C (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Betting Trend to Know
The Flyers are 27-10 in their last 37 home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Flyers.
NHL Sharp Money and Line Movement Report
By Patrick EversonPhiladelphia hit the FanDuel moneyline Saturday night as a -120 favorite, stretched to -132 this morning, receded to -122 and sits at -130 as of 4:30 p.m. ET. It's two-way action, with 51 percent of bets on the Islanders and 56 percent of money on the Flyers for a 7 p.m. ET faceoff. The total opened at 5.5 (Under -120) and moved to 5.5 (Under -135), although tickets and money are still running 2/1 on the Over.
Check out the full line movement for this gameMoneyline Pick
What a difference a year can make. Last season, the Flyers allowed the fewest shots in the league and held opponents to 2.77 goals per game. This year, they rank 29th in shots allowed and are giving up 3 goals per game.
That said, the Islanders have been absolutely brutal on the offensive end of the ice, averaging just 2 goals per game and converting on just 15.6 percent of powerplay opportunities. So Philadelphia shouldn't have too much trouble limiting New York's struggling forwards.
The Flyers have been able to find the back of the net themselves, ranking eighth in the league with 3.44 gpg. Philly should be licking its chops tonight with Ilya Sorokin likely to get the nod in nets for the Isles. The rookie has bounced back and forth between the taxi squad and has a GAA of 3.57 with a save percentage of .875 across two starts.
Meanwhile, the Flyers have a strong backup netminder in Brian Elliot, who has a 1.98 GAA with a .938 save percentage this season. The veteran has more than 400 starts in his career and was an All-Star during his prime in St. Louis.
The Isles have lost four in a row and are 8-17 in their last 25 games as an underdog. Meanwhile, the Flyers are winners of three straight and are 27-10 in their previous 37 contests at home. With Philadelphia having the edge when it comes to offense and goaltending, being able to back them at a reasonable price of -120 seems like the play.
PREDICTION: Philadelphia -120
Over/Under Pick
The Isles have gone 9-1-1 to the Under in their last 11 games, but there's reason to like the Over tonight, especially with the total set at just 5.5 and the Over paying out at plus money.
The Over is 6-2 in the Flyers' previous eight games, and these teams have also gone a commanding 14-5-1 to the Over in the last 20 contests in the head-to-head.
As bad as the Islanders have looked on offense, Philadelphia has had some iffy play in the back. While having blue-liner Shayne Gostisbehere back in action helps in that department, we're still not sold on them being the strong Under bet they were last year when they went below the total for ten straight games.
We mentioned Sorokin getting the start, and we have about as much faith in the 25-year-old as head coach Barry Trotz seems to.
The Flyers don't get many shots on net, but they make the most of the opportunities they do get, leading the league with a shooting percentage of 12.6. That could be bad news for the rookie netminder, who surrendered five goals on 32 shots in his debut against the Rangers two weeks ago.
We're tentatively backing the Over and expecting Philly to do most of the scoring.
PREDICTION: Over 5.5 (+120)
Islanders vs Flyers Betting Card
- Philadelphia -120
- Over 5.5 (+120)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NHL Islanders vs. Flyers picks, you could win $30.33 on a $10 bet?
Use our NHL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
Where Can I Bet on the NHL?
You can bet on NBA odds at every online and casino sportsbook, including NHL moneylines, puck lines, Over/Under totals, and a ton of NHL prop odds. Head over to our best-suggested sportsbooks for the top spots to bet on NHL odds in your area.
