Islanders vs Rangers Picks, Predictions & Odds Tonight - NHL

The New York Islanders and New York Rangers face off at Madison Square Garden this afternoon as the visitors fight for playoff positioning in a jam-packed Wild Card race.

Meanwhile, the Rangers will look to play spoiler against their intrastate rivals as they’ve won four of their last five outings and skate into today’s Game as a sizable favorite in the NHL odds on home ice.

Find out if the hosts can keep their hot streak going in my Islanders vs. Rangers NHL picks and predictions for Sunday, March 17.

Islanders vs Rangers odds

Islanders vs Rangers predictions

The New York Rangers put on an offensive show against the Penguins on Saturday, skating to a 7-4 win led by a five-point effort from Artemi Panarin. Panarin wasn’t the only Rangers skater to put on a show on Saturday though, as Vincent Trocheck also had another productive outing with two assists and two shots on net.

With Panarin having such a dominant season on Broadway, Trocheck has flown a bit under the radar but has had an excellent campaign of his own with 64 points in 67 games — matching his point total from last season in 15 fewer contests.

The center has emerged as a crucial piece for the Rangers’ offense down the stretch and I’ll look for him to continue pushing the pace by notching Over 2.5 shots on net in today’s matchup against the New York Islanders.

Trocheck has recorded at least three shots on net in seven of his last nine games while collecting four goals and seven points over that span, so he won’t be short on confidence heading into this afternoon’s battle.

Trocheck’s 21 shots in March trail only Chris Kreider (22) for the team lead, while his 20:55 of ice time this month leads all Rangers forwards. He should get plenty of looks around the Islanders’ net today.

My best bet: Vincent Trocheck Over 2.5 shots on goal (-145 at DraftKings)

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Islanders vs Rangers same-game parlay

Along with Over 2.5 shots on net, I’ll take Trocheck to notch at least a point against the Islanders. He’s found the score sheet in two straight contests and seven of his last eight.

I’ll round out the same-game parlay by taking the Rangers to cover the 1.5-goal spread. The Rangers have won by at least two goals in six of their last eight victories while coming out on top in each of their last two meetings vs. the Islanders.

Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.

Islanders vs Rangers moneyline and Over/Under analysis

The Rangers come into today’s matchup as the clear favorite, opening at -165 on the moneyline with the total set at 5.5 goals. I like the Rangers to take two points while cashing the Under this afternoon.

The Rangers have climbed atop the Metropolitan Division thanks to a 15-3-1 run since January 27 and lead the NHL with 31 points over that span while outscoring their opponents by an average score of 3.68-2.21.

The Islanders, meanwhile, have dropped three straight games while being shut out in two of those contests. The Islanders are averaging fewer than 25 shots on net over their last four games, which simply won’t cut it against Igor Shesterkin and the Rangers.

Speaking of Shesterkin, he’s had a resurgence in the Rangers net after a sluggish start to his campaign, posting a .953 SV% in February and following that up with a .924 SV% through the first half of March.

The Rangers netminder was rocked for five goals by the Lightning in his last start on Thursday but posted back-to-back shutouts in his previous two starts and has given up one goal or fewer in six of his last nine games — a big reason why I like the Under in this matchup.

Ilya Sorokin has also been good for the Islanders with a .922 SV% this month while holding the opposition to two goals or fewer in four of his last five starts.

Islanders vs Rangers betting trend to know

The Rangers are 8-1 in their last nine home games. Find more NHL betting trends for Islanders vs. Rangers.

Islanders vs Rangers game info

Islanders vs Rangers latest injuries

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