Hunter Skoczylas shares his prediction for Wednesday’s NHL matchup between the New York Islanders and New York Rangers.

The battle of New York takes place tonight with the Islanders hosting the Rangers at the UBS Arena. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook, the Islanders are -130 home favorites on the Moneyline, and the game’s total is set at O/U 6.5 goals.

Below, I’ll share a preview and prediction for Wednesday night’s tilt between the Islanders and Rangers.

New York Islanders vs. New York Rangers prediction, preview

Islanders preview

The Islanders have been very average since the start of the new year, posting a 6-5-1 record while averaging 3.0 goals and allowing 3.0 goals per game. The club is coming off a 4-0 win over the Flyers two days ago and will turn to David Rittich instead of Ilya Sorokin between the pipes. Rittich sports a 2.57 GAA and a .902 SV% across 21 starts this season; however, he is 1-3-1 over his last five starts, with an underwhelming 3.40 GAA and a .832 SV%.

Goals have been hard to come by for the Islanders, with the club ranking 23rd in 5v5 goals per 60 and 28th in 5v5 xGoals%. New York ranks inside the bottom-10 in total goals, and its only 20-goal-scorer is 30-year-old Bo Horvat (21). The Isles also rank 27th in PP% and have scored the eighth-fewest power play goals. Defensively, this team is formidable, ranking eighth in PK% and allowing the sixth-fewest 5v5 goals against per 60.

For up-to-date NHL betting information and data, check out both the DraftKings Sportsbook betting splits page and the DraftKings Sportsbook player props page!

Rangers preview

It’s been a rather disappointing season for the other New York team, as it finds itself at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. There has been no new year’s luck, either, as the Rangers have posted a 3-7-2 during January, good for the second-worst record in the NHL. The Rangers enter tonight’s matchup having allowed a whopping 4.8 goals per game since Igor Shesterkin went down with an injury. Believe it or not, this team failed to even score a goal in either of the first two meetings against the Islanders.

The Rangers will start Spencer Martin in net tonight, a 30-year-old with a 3.58 GAA and .882 SV% across 71 career starts. Martin has allowed at least three goals in four of his five starts this season and ranks 60th out of 90 eligible goaltenders in goals saved above expected. On the season, New York has allowed the 10th-fewest 5v5 goals against per 60, but that ranking continues to tank without Shesterkin. Offensively, the club cannot put together enough consistency, having been shut out eight times already this season. The Rangers rank 28th in 5v5 goals per 60 and 23rd in 5v5 xGoals%, but thankfully average 3.10 goals per game on the road compared to a league-low 2.09 goals per game at home.

Islanders vs. Rangers pick, best bet

72% of the handle and 70% of the bets on DraftKings Sportsbook have been placed on Islanders Moneyline (-130), suggesting that the public is expecting another no-show from the Rangers. Neither of these teams is necessarily lighting it up right now, but the Islanders certainly have the goaltending advantage. Rittich has been somewhat shaky lately, though, and I still trust the likes of Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad to create plays.

So, let’s pivot to the total, set at O/U 6.5 goals and -105 odds, which holds 57% of the handle, but only 34% of the bets. Each of these starting goaltenders has allowed at least three goals in four of their past five starts, with Rittich arguably playing worse than Martin during this span.

Best Bet: OVER 6.5 Total Goals (-105)

Prop Lean: Bo Horvat 3+ Shots on Goal (-140)

Horvat has cleared 3+ SOG in 22-of-38 games this season (58%), including in 14-of-20 games at the UBS Arena. He has averaged 6.6 shot attempts per game at home and cleared 3+ SOG in seven of his past 10 meetings against the Rangers.