The Edmonton Oilers (2-0-1)and New York Islanders (0-3-0) will lock horns and match wits in a Thursday contest at UBS Arena. The opening puck drop will be at 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN+). Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NHL odds around the Oilers vs. Islanders odds and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Season series: First meeting; Oilers swept 2024-25 series 2-0
Edmonton is playing the middle contest in a 3-game Gotham trip. The Oilers (-135) won 2-0 at the New York Rangers Tuesday; they will play at the New Jersey Devils Saturday. Since 2023, Edmonton is 4-1 against the Islanders.
New York last played on Monday when it went 0-for-5 on the power play and dropped a 5-2 decision to the Winnipeg Jets (-122). The Islanders have struggled mightily so far, getting outscored 13-7.
Oilers 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 7:26 a.m. ET.
Moneyline (ML): Oilers -170 (bet $170 to win $100) | Islanders +140 (bet $100 to win $140)Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Oilers -1.5 (+140) | Islanders +1.5 (-170)Over/Under (O/U): 6 (O: -110 | U: -110)Oilers at Islanders projected goalies
Stuart Skinner (1-0-1, 1.44 GAA, .942 SV%) vs. David Rittich
Skinner started Tuesday’s game at Madison Square Garden and registered 30 saves in a shutout. He’s 2-1-0 vs. the Islanders in his career.
Rittich went 16-14-2 with the LA Kings last season (2.84 GAA, .886 SV%). A start Thursday would mark the 33-year-old’s season debut. He’s 5-5-1 in 14 games with a goals against average of 2.68 vs. the Oilers.
Oilers at Islanders picks and predictionsPrediction
Islanders 4, Oilers 3
New York played Edmonton tough last season. Both Islander losses were in overtime, and the Oilers did have a couple or 3 shaky East Coast road trips in 2024-25.
Skinner has struggled in early-season outings the last 2 years. He filed an .872 SV% last October and an .863 mark in October 2023.
The Isles are not a strong club, but they are undervalued in this spot. Consider a partial-unit play on NEW YORK (+140).
No interest; PASS.
New York’s 3 games thus far have all landed as Overs.
Both sides have some 5-on-5 expected-goal figures that indicate they have underperformed so far on offense. And Edmonton’s defensive numbers are colored by a high save percentage.
Look for both sides to create a decent number of shots and for the Oilers to add a power-play goal to the mix.
TAKE THE OVER 6 (-110).
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter/X and like us on Facebook.