The playoff series between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins offers one of the starkest contrasts of teams and playing styles of any series on the board. For the Isles they are defense first and always. Head coach Barry Trotz arrived last summer after winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals a few days before. Trotz more than made up for the fact that the Isles lost marquee man and superstar John Tavares to free agency and the Toronto Maple Leafs. As for the Penguins they are just two seasons removed from back to back Stanley Cup titles. Their lack of strong defense may offset what is still an elite goal scoring ability.
NHL Playoffs Betting at BookMaker.eu
New York Islanders vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Game 3
Date and Time: Sunday, April 14, 2019, 12 p.m. ET
Location: PPG Paints Arena Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
NHL Betting Online Odds at Bookmaker.eu: (Check Back Later)
Islanders vs. Penguins TV Coverage: NBC
Odds Analysis
Few teams in the NHL bring more street cred with the gambling public than the Pittsburgh Penguins. With longtime superstar Sidney Crosby, a tradition of Stanley Cups, and top tier contender status the public trusts the Pens much more than an unproven Islanders team that hasn’t won a Stanley Cup since 1983. However live betting could flow the Isles way based on their potential for superior value and persistent Penguins overlays this year.
Current Form
New York scored a thrilling 4-3 overtime win in game one to set the tone for this series. New York is a scrappy team that lacks a dominant marquee scorer but is also better than the total sum of its parts. Pittsburgh goaltender Matt Murray was lit up for four goals on 29 shots while Islander netminder Robin Lehner stopped 41 out of 44 Penguin shots to get the win. Josh Bailey got the overtime winner at the 4:39 mark to blow the roof off of the Coliseum on Long Island.
Paradise Island
The Islanders were one of the big surprises in the NHL with a record of 49-27-2-5. New York lost its top star and marquee man John Tavares to free agency and the Toronto Maple Leafs last summer. When that happened the hockey gambling community wrote off the Isles. It was said that New York would not have enough offense to be able to compete and that if the Islanders couldn’t win consistently with Tavares how could they possibly win without him. The answer was head coach Barry Trotz. Trotz got he Isles to play like a team in a way that nobody else could. And the franchise has reconnected with its fans and relit the passion that they once held. New York boasts the top goals against average in the NHL while ranking 22nd for goals scored.
Problems in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh finished 44-26-10-3 which was good for third place in the Metropolitan Division behind the Islanders and Washington Capitals. As usual the Pens were a prolific offensive team that ranked sixth for goals scored and fifth for the power play. On the back end is where the problems occurred. The Penguins ranked 14th for goals against and 19th for the penalty kill.
Head to Head
The Islanders have won three of their last five meetings with the Penguins with four of the last six between these teams going under the total. However, at PPG Paints Arena the Penguins have won six of their last eight games against the Isles with five of the last six in this matchup in the Steel City going over the total.
Islanders vs. Penguins Free NHL Live Betting Odds Pick
As proven in game one the Islanders are a dangerous live dog. Pittsburgh has lacked consistency all year.
Islanders vs. Penguins NHL Live Betting Odds Picks:New York Islanders
Islanders vs. penguins NHL Live Betting Odds Score Prediction:Islanders 3, Penguins 1
BookMaker offers play-by-play betting odds for live sporting events every day! The user-friendly wagering interface on your smartphone provides an easy way to place bets on the go. Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook!
