Chapter three of the battle of New York will go down tonight at Madison Square Garden as the Rangers host the New York Islanders, who took two points in Columbus last night. The Islanders won a 2-1 decision four weeks ago but will be playing their third game in four nights and face a Rangers team riding a four-game winning streak.
Can the Rangers continue their push for the top spot in the Metro Division as they sit five points behind the Carolina Hurricanes? Despite the lost season, can the Islanders get up for tonight’s rivalry game? Find out in our free NHL picks and predictions for Islanders vs. Rangers.
Islanders vs Rangers odds
This odds widget represents the best odds available for each betting market from regulated sportsbooks.
The Rangers opened as -150 home favorites but are gaining some steam in the market and have moved to -165 as of Friday morning. The total sits at 5.5. The Islanders won an early March meeting 2-1, with the Rangers closing as -140 home favorites with a total of 5.5. The Islanders won in Columbus last night.
Use the live odds widget above to track any future line movements right until puck drop and be sure to check out the full NHL odds before betting to ensure you get the best number.
Islanders vs Rangers predictions
Predictions made on 4/01/2022 at 9:00 a.m. ET.
Click on each prediction to jump to the full analysis.
If you're signing up for a new sportsbook for the 2021-22 NHL season, here are two of the best bonuses available:
USA: New user big boost: Bet $1 on any NHL moneyline at DraftKings and get $150 in free bets if your team wins! Sign Up Now
Canada: Bet on any team to win a game involving a Canadian team at Betway — if they jump out to a 2-0 lead, you get paid out as a winner, regardless of the final result! Claim Now
Islanders vs Rangers game info
• Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
• Date: Friday, April 1, 2022
• Puck drop: 7:00 p.m. ET
• TV: MSG+
Islanders vs Rangers betting preview
Key injuries
Islanders : Ilya Sorokin G (Questionable), Andy Greene D (Questionable).
Rangers: Libor Hajek D (Questionable), Ryan Strome F (Questionable), Kevin Rooney F (Out), Kaapo Kakko F (Out).
Find our latest NHL injury reports.
Islanders vs Rangers head-to-head record since 2021
Islanders : 7-3 SU, 26 goals for.
Rangers: 3-7 SU, 17 goals for.
Betting trend to know
The Rangers are 6-0 SU in their last six after scoring five goals or more in their previous game. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Rangers.
Islanders vs Rangers picks and predictions
Our side and total predictions are based upon our analysis of the line and total in this game. Our best bet is our favorite pick across all markets.
Moneyline analysis
The New York Rangers made some of the best moves at the trade deadline with the additions of Frank Vatrano (5G, 1A), Andrew Copp (2G, 5A), and Tyler Motte (18 hits in five games). Since picking up Vatrano, the Rags are 6-2 straight up and sit just five points out of the top spot in the Metro Division. They get a huge advantage tonight as they’ll take on an Islanders team that won 4-2 in Columbus just last night.
The Islanders have been playing better hockey of late and are 10-6-2 in March with a 3.41 goals-per-game mark, which is in the Top 12 in the league. They finally got some scoring from guys not named Anders Lee or Brock Nelson last night in their win over the Blue Jackets but tonight is a tougher matchup for the visitors.
Over their last 13 games, Nelson and Lee have scored 20 of the team’s 45 goals and without the last change on the road, this offense could be easier to shut down, especially with Igor Shesterkin owning a 1.88 GAA at home with a 17-3-2 record and a solid bottom-six.
Shesterkin (unconfirmed) should get the start after Alex Georgiev gave up four tallies in a 5-4 OT win over the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. Shesterkin is still the betting favorite for the Vezina at -400 and sits third in the MVP race at +450. He’s allowed more than two goals just four times over his last 15 starts and although he has just one win over the Islanders in seven career starts, those head-to-head numbers are due to regress as Shesterkin has been too good this season. He stopped 26 of 28 in the previous meeting and 20 of 21 shots in the season’s first meeting.
The Rangers offense could have a chance to hang a big number on a tired Islanders team tonight as goalie Semyon Varlamov played last night while Ilya Sorokin is still day-to-day. Corey Schneider backed up Varlamov last night in Columbus.
The Rangers are playing their best offensive hockey of the season heading into tonight’s matchup and are scoring 3.60 goals per game which is a Top-10 mark. Even without center Ryan Strome, this offense is still clicking and the new additions of Vatrano and Copp have provided scoring depth that was lacking before the deadline.
The Rangers power play is clicking and will be a big strength tonight. They’re scoring at a 35.5% rate over the last 30 days which is the second-best rate in hockey over that stretch. The Rangers are getting better at even strength and have dominated with the man advantage all season.
The Rangers have a great schedule opportunity here against a rival who played a solid game last night. The market is agreeing with our lean. The Rangers were -140 home favorites in the last meeting making -165 still a good price when you consider that the Islanders are on the second game of a traveling back-to-back.
Prediction: Rangers 3-way ML (-105 at bet365)
Over/Under analysis
This might not be the best Over on the board tonight but with a total of 5.5 paying -105 to the Over, there might be something to like about the possibility of goals.
First off, when dealing with Rangers’ totals, we have to look at Shesterkin. He's been the league’s best goalie this season but has faltered in a few games of late and has allowed four or more goals in three of his last six. He also has a career 3.02 GAA vs. the Islanders with a save percentage below .900. This Islanders offense has been playing its best hockey of late and finally got some secondary scoring last night in Columbus.
If the Islanders can pot two, we like the home side’s chances at scoring at least four. The Rangers are rolling three solid scoring lines that could be even stronger if Ryan Strome suits up. Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, and Andrew Copp are all scoring at least a point per game over the last 10 while Adam Fox, Alexis Lafreniere, and Vatrano have all been contributing.
The power play is rolling and Kreider, Fox, and Panarin all have five power-play points over the last 10 games. The Rangers PP is 11-for-31 since the beginning of March and could find the back of the net tonight after scoring in both meetings so far this season.
This Over could see even more attention if the Islanders have to go with Corey Schneider in net with Sorokin banged up and Varlamov playing last night. The former Devils goalie has not yet played for the Islanders and last suited up in an NHL game back in the 2019-20 season. He had a 3.08 GAA in the AHL before being called up and if he were to get the nod, we’d likely see this total hit 6.
Both offenses have picked up some steam since their last 2-1 meeting and this Rangers offense is looking legit as it continues to gain chemistry.
Prediction: Over 5.5 (-105 at bet365)
Best bet
The market is moving quickly on the Rangers and there is good reason for it. The team is starting to make a play for the division lead after winning four in a row, including a huge pair of victories over the Penguins. The offense is picking up slack while the deadline additions might have been the best moves in hockey.
This is a great spot for the Rangers with the Islanders playing on the road last night and appearing in their third game in four nights. The line continues to move but we’re still happy getting near-even money on Shesterkin and the Rangers in regulation. There’s a chance these boys catch the Hurricanes for the Metro’s top spot.
Pick: Rangers 3-way ML (-105 at bet365)
Did you know that if you parlayed today’s NHL Islanders vs. Rangers picks, you could win $28.12 on a $10 bet?
Use our NHL parlay calculator to create your own parlays and see their potential payouts.
