Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Islanders odds, picks & predictions

The Tampa Bay Lightning (45-27-6) meet the New York Islanders (39-30-9) on Thursday. Puck drop from UBS Arena is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Lightning vs. Islanders odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

The Lightning suffered a 6-3 road loss at the New York Rangers Wednesday, snapping a 3-game win streak. The Over result also ended a 4-0 run to the Under.

The Islanders were on the short end of a 2-1 loss on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, following up a 5-0 setback against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena Saturday. The Under is on a 4-0-1 run for the Isles, who have been shut out twice along that span.

Lightning at Islanders odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 8:33 a.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML): Lightning -105 (bet $105 to win $100) | Islanders -115 (bet $115 to win $100)
• Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Lightning +1.5 (-275) | Islanders -1.5 (+220)
• Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -120 | U: +100)

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Lightning at Islanders projected goalies

Brian Elliott (11-6-2, 3.30 GAA, .891 SV%, 1 SO) vs. Ilya Sorokin (28-21-7, 2.40 GAA, .923 SV%, 5 SO)

Elliott was knocked around for 6 goals on 34 shots in a 7-2 loss at Ottawa last time out on March 23, snapping a modest personal 2-game win streak. He was 2-2-0 with a 3.80 GAA and .866 SV% in 4 outings in March.

Sorokin was on the short end of the 2-1 setback at Carolina Sunday in his most recent outing, and he is 0-2-0 with a 3.96 GAA and .893 SV% in 2 April starts so far.

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Lightning at Islanders picks and predictions

Prediction

Lightning 4, Islanders 3

Moneyline

The LIGHTNING (-105) are a good play as short ‘dogs on the road.

The Islanders have dropped 2 in a row, and New York is 2-3-1 in the past 6 games overall, collecting just 5 out of a possible 12 points.

Puck line/Against the spread

The Lightning +1.5 (-275) are way too expensive if you require insurance in this road matchup. You can’t risk nearly 3 times your potential return, even as part of a parlay play, as that’s not nearly enough value.

AVOID.

Over/Under

OVER 5.5 (-120) is the best play on the board.

While the Under has been a frequent occurrence for both teams lately, the Over is 7-3-1 in Tampa’s last 11 games against Metropolitan Division teams, and it is especially a solid play with Elliott in the crease on the second end of a back-to-back.

The Islanders need this one and should be able to generate some solid offense against the backup, although they’ll come up short in the end.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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