Boston Bruins at New York Islanders Game 3 odds, picks and prediction
The Boston Bruins and New York Islanders play Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs second-round series Thursday. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Below, we analyze the Bruins-Islanders odds and lines, with NHL picks and predictions.
The Bruins will be looking to do something they haven't done in a while - win on the Island. Boston has dropped its past four trips to Uniondale, and the home team is 8-2 in the previous 10 meetings.
The Islanders picked up a nail-biting overtime victory in Game 2, squaring the series 1-1. Three of New York's five wins in the postseason have come in overtime or longer.
Bruins at Islanders: Odds, spread and lines
Odds via BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports' betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated at 7:30 a.m. ET.
- Money line : Bruins -140 (bet $140 to win $100) | Islanders +115 (bet $100 to win $115)
- Against the spread/ATS : Bruins -1.5 (+190) | Islanders +1.5 (-250)
- Over/Under : 5 (O: -135 | U: +110)
Bruins at Islanders: Projected starting goalies
Tuukka Rask (15-5-2, 2.28 GAA, .913 SV%, 2 SO) vs. Semyon Varlamov (19-11-4, 2.04 GAA, .929 SV%, 7 SO). Stats are regular season only.
Rask and the Bruins came up short in Game 2 losing 4-3 in overtime. He made 35 saves and was good, but he just wasn't good enough. Rask won two of his three road starts in the opening road, and his only loss in Game 1 was in overtime.
Varlamov was on the losing end of his two starts in the opening series against the Penguins, but head coach Barry Trotz went to the veteran for a spark in Game 2 - and he produced. Varly made 39 saves on 42 saves to best the B's in Beantown.
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Bruins at Islanders: Odds, lines, predictions and picks
Prediction
Islanders 4, Bruins 3
Money line (ML)
The ISLANDERS (+115) are a value play as short 'dogs at home. New York should be playing in front of a raucous crowd in Uniondale. Varlamov was money at home, too, going 12-3-3 with a 1.87 GAA and .937 SV% with four of his seven shutouts on home ice during the regular season.
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Against the spread (ATS)
The Islanders +1.5 (-250) will cost you two-and-a-half times your potential return if you want a little insurance and don't trust them straight up. It's not worth it. Just play the 'dogs straight up on the money line for the best value.
PASS.
Over/Under (O/U)
OVER 5 (-135) is the way to go here. In New York's three home games against Pittsburgh we had an average of 7.3 goals per game, with the Islanders scoring four or more goals in each outing. In three road games, the Bruins saw 5.3 total goals per game with Boston going for 3.0 goals per game.
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