There’s no easing into the holiday break in the Metro, not with the Devils and Islanders separated by a single point and colliding Tuesday night in Elmont. Puck drop at UBS Arena is set for 7 p.m. EST, with coverage on ESPN+.

New Jersey (20-15-1) have split their last five games and are coming off a 3-1 loss to Buffalo on Sunday. They’ve won their last two road games, including back-to-back 2-1 victories at Utah and Vegas.

Offensively, New Jersey leans on Jesper Bratt, who leads the team with 29 points and 23 assists, while Timo Meier paces the Devils in goals with 11. Goaltending could come from Jake Allen (2.48 goals against average, .912 save percentage) or Jacob Markstrom.

The Islanders (19-13-4) return home dealing with a three-game losing streak, including a 3-2 shootout loss at Buffalo on Saturday. New York owns a 10-7-2 home record but will be short-handed, with Bo Horvat and Ilya Sorokin both listed out.

Horvat leads the Islanders with 19 goals, while Mathew Barzal tops the team with 19 assists. With Sorokin unavailable, David Rittich is the likely option in goal after posting a 2.54 GAA this season.

The Islanders won the first meeting of the season, 3-2 in overtime on Nov. 10.

Devils -1.5 (+194)Islanders +1.5 (-233)Devils -127Islanders +122Over 5.5 (-133)Under 5.5 (+117)

Note: The above data was collected on Dec. 23, 2025, and may have changed since writing.

Devils vs Islanders Betting TrendsThe Devils are 9-9 against the spread this season on the road.The Islanders are 7-12 against the spread when playing at home.The under has hit in five straight games for the Devils.The Islanders have won five of their last six home games.The Devils have won four of the last five matchups with the Islanders in New York.Four of the last six meetings between these two have gone under.Devils vs Islanders Injury ReportsEvgenii Dadonov, RW — Injured reserve, wrist.Zack MacEwen, C — Injured reserve, undisclosed.Johnathan Kovacevic, D — Injured reserve, knee.Marc McLaughlin, C — Injured reserve, undisclosed.Simon Nemec, D — Injured reserve, lower body.Semyon Varlamov, G — Injured reserve, knee.Kyle Palmieri, RW — Injured reserve, knee.Bo Horvat, C — Day to day, lower body.Ethan Bear, D — Injured reserve, undisclosed.Pierre Engvall, LW — Injured reserve, ankle.Ilya Sorokin, G — Day to day, undisclosed.Alexander Romanov, D — Injured reserve, shoulder.Devils vs Islanders Predictions and Picks

“The Isles have lost three straight games after winning three straight. They’ve been a streaky team this season, and the Devils have a chance to get back on track against their rival. A lot of the Islanders’ success this season has been on the back of goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who is out for this game. They are also still without top center Bo Horvat, as well as a few depth pieces. I’ll take the Devils here as small road favorites.” — Ryan Gilber, Sports Illustrated

“The Devils received a large boost to their lineup on Sunday as they had superstar forward Jack Hughes return to the lineup …. Hughes had a goal in his first game back and is still inside the top five in team scoring despite playing half of the games …. The Islanders have been reeling a bit and are coming into this game riding a three-game losing streak. Things won’t get any easier going up against this rejuvenated Devils team. This is going to be a solid game, but I will be siding with the road team in this one.” — Jon Picks, Pickswise

“This Devils–Islanders matchup checks every box for a tight, playoff-style contest despite the calendar still reading December. Expect disciplined hockey, cautious offensive pushes, and a game that likely remains undecided well into the third period.” — Kim Smith, Winners and Whiners