New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction: Can Dylan Larkin, Red Wings Take Care of Business?
New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction: Can Dylan Larkin, Red Wings Take Care of Business?
The New York Islanders travel to Detroit to take on the Red Wings tonight in Little Caesars Arena. The Red Wings have been having a surprising season and sit in fourth place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points. On the other hand, the Islanders have been extremely underwhelming and have just 62 points this season, sitting only above the Blue Jackets at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division. The Red Wings have a short money line of just -115 tonight. Can they win at home in this spot?
Islanders vs. Red Wings DATE, TIME, AND WHERE TO WATCH
- Date: February 29, 2024
- Game Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Where to Watch: ESPN+
New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings Prediction
As I touched on in the opener, the Islanders have left a lot to be loved the season. They are 24–34 overall and have been horrible on the road, posting an 11–17 record away from New York. They do not have a lot of momentum coming into this game, as they are 4–6 over their last 10 games and have won just two of their last seven games overall. The Islanders are led by Matthew Barzal, who has 61 points overall, while Noah Dobson leads them in assists with 53 and has 60 points overall. Aside from their leaders at the top like those two and Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson, the Islanders have not had a lot of offensive production this season. Ilya Sorokin is also having a down year after a great campaign last season, as he is posting just a 90% save rate and has a 3.1 goals allowed average per game.
The Red Wings have been just the opposite. The Red Wings have been one of the hottest teams in the NHL in the new year, as they are 16–6 since the new year and they have won six games in a row while going 7–3 over the last 10. They have played well at home, where they are 18–13 on the season, and they have Alex Lyon in net tonight who has been brilliant this season. Alex Lyon has easily been the best goalie in Detroit, as he has posted a 91.4% save rate and has allowed just 2.69 goals on average per game. He also leads the Red Wings in wins as he is 18-8–2 on the season. Offensively, the Red Wings are led by Dylan Larkin and Alex Debrincat, who both lead the team with 53 points while Dylan Larkin has been the highest goalscorer on the team with 26. The Red Wings also brought in Patrick Kane midseason, who has 30 points in just 28 games on the team. This team is rolling right now and I would not want to fade them at home.
These teams are heading in opposite directions this season and especially as of late. The Red Wings are the hotter team, have been better at home, and have their best goalie in net tonight. the Islanders are in a tough stretch right now and look like they will not make the playoffs this season, and Ilya Sorokin has also taken a step back in net this season. This line is too good to pass up at home, and the Red Wings should take care of business again tonight and make it seven wins in a row.
New York Islanders vs. Detroit Red Wings Pick
Pick: Red Wings ML -115 Click here to see which sportsbook has the best odds
NHL ODDS
Article Author
Ben Rajavuori is a handicapper out of Minneapolis, MN. He has been creating sports content for almost four years now and is an expert in all things NFL, MLB, NBA, UFC, and NCAAB. Ben thrives on diving deep into statistics to find the best angle on every bet. You can follow him on Twitter @WeBeatTheSpread.