Panthers vs. Islanders prediction, odds, pick

The Florida Panthers and New York Islanders are in the middle of some exciting starts to the season. The Panthers aren’t performing as well as they’d like, owning a 5-3-1 record and some lopsided losses. They’ve also battled some poor play from their goaltenders but are in first place in the Atlantic Division. It has been the opposite for the Islanders, as they perform better than expected with a 3-2-2 record but sit all the way down in seventh in the Metropolitan Division. The cruelty of sports is on full display with the seasons of these two teams, but plenty of games are left to play. It’s time to continue our NHL odds series with a Panthers-Islanders prediction and pick.

Here are the Panthers-Islanders NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel. 

NHL Odds: Panthers-Islanders Odds

Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+180)

Moneyline: -130

New York Islanders: +1.5 (-220)

Moneyline: +110

Over: 6 (-110)

Under: 6 (-110)

How To Watch Panthers vs. Islanders

Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30 PM PT

TV: SCRIPPS, MSGSN

Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)

Why the Panthers Could Cover the Spread/Win

The Panthers have suffered a minor Stanley Cup hangover this season, as they have a 5-3-1 record through the first nine games. Their injury issues were a big part of the problem, as Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk missed a significant portion. Tkachuk returned with limited effectiveness two games ago when the Panthers lost 5-1 to the Minnesota Wild, but Florida bounced back with a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Thursday night.

Sergei Bobrovsky hasn’t been performing up to his standards this season. He has a 4-2-1 record but a .886 save percentage. Bobrovsky got back on track on Thursday night when he outdueled fellow Russian Igor Shesterkin for a 3-1 victory. If the performance was a sign of things to come for Bobrovsky, it could be a long night for the Islanders, who have been already shut out three times in seven games.

Why the Islanders Could Cover the Spread/Win

The Panthers might be the defending Stanley Cup Champions and two-time Eastern Conference finalists, but one team in the East doesn’t care about their pedigree. The Islanders have been the Panthers’ kryptonite over the past two seasons, as they’ve won three of the past four meetings. The one game in which the Panthers defeated the Islanders was a 3-2 overtime result. It might be a different team under Patrick Roy, but the overtime loss and latest win came after the new regime took control on January 24, 2024.

The Islanders are a difficult team to understand. They started the year with a 5-4 loss to the Utah Hockey Club and followed that with a 3-0 shutout loss to the Dallas Stars. Since then, they’ve alternated wins and losses, scoring 14 goals in the three victories and getting shut out 1-0 in the two losses. The Panthers are allowing 3.33 goals per game, which, if we can go by recent results, would lead to the Islanders stealing a victory.

Final Panthers-Islanders Prediction & Pick

It is challenging to ignore the Islanders’ success against the Panthers over their last four meetings. Sometimes, a team has the other’s number, and it looks like that’s happening with New York and Florida. The Panthers have been winning games despite not scoring up to their usual pace and not getting the goaltending that led them to the 2024 Stanley Cup. The Panthers will figure it out, but the Islanders could pull off the upset here.

Final Panthers-Islanders Prediction & Pick: Islanders ML (+110)