Islanders vs Rangers Betting (Dec. 22): Can the Rangers Avoid Getting Swept on Broadway?

The 2022-23 NHL season has an exciting schedule planned for Thursday, Dec. 22, including the battle of New York in the form of an Islanders vs Rangers showdown at 7 p.m. ET. This is the third and final time that these foes will meet in the regular season and after the Islanders won the previous two matchups, many are wondering if they have what it takes to complete the sweep.

Rangers-Islanders showdown a season finale come too soon https://t.co/9cXAxC2iQg pic.twitter.com/4wA0RIKK9Z

— New York Post (@nypost) December 22, 2022

The Islanders have struggled to build momentum lately, going 3-5-2 in their last 10 games. Offense was hard to come by in their 1-0 shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday, leaving fans hoping for a better performance in tonight’s divisional matchup.

Meanwhile, the Rangers’ winning streak was snapped at seven games due to Tuesday’s 3-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chris Kreider found the back of the net twice for his team, but it wasn’t good enough to get the job done.

As with most notable matchups, there are plenty of betting opportunities in this Islanders vs Rangers tilt. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the games, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

New York Islanders vs New York Rangers Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New York Islanders (18-13-2, 9-7-2 Away) vs. New York Rangers (18-11-5, 7-6-4 Home)
• Venue & Location: Madison Square Garden (New York City, New York)
• Date: Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Islanders vs Rangers Info: ESPN+

Islanders vs Rangers Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Thursday, Dec. 22 at 7:25 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• New York Islanders +1.5 (-192)
• New York Rangers -1.5 (+154)

Over/Under

• Over 5.5 Goals (-112)
• Under 5.5 Goals (-108)

Moneyline

• New York Islanders +132
• New York Rangers -160

New York Islanders vs New York Rangers Betting Trends

• The Islanders are 8-2 straight up in their last 10 games against the Rangers.
• The Rangers are 0-5 straight up in their last five home games against the Islanders.
• The total has hit the over in four of the Islanders’ last five road games.
• The total has hit the under in 11 of the Rangers’ last 14 games against the Islanders.

Islanders vs Rangers Prediction and Picks

Islanders vs Rangers Prediction: Rangers 3, Islanders 1

Islanders vs Rangers Picks: Rangers ML (Best Value: -160 at BetOnline) & Under 5.5 Goals (Best Value: -108 at BetOnline)

As previously mentioned, the Islanders have had the Rangers’ number this season. First, they picked up a 3-0 shutout back in October before scoring a massive 4-3 comeback victory against the Rangers (after being down 3-1) in November.

Those victories helped the Islanders improve to 8-2-0 straight up in their last 10 games against their Metropolitan Division rivals. What’s even more impressive is that the Islanders have also won eight of their last 10 trips to Madison Square Garden and have won five straight outings there dating back to February 2021.

The only problem is that it’s hard to trust the Islanders during their latest skid. One reason why they’ve lost seven of their last 10 games is an inconsistent power play. They’re only 4-of-30 (13.3%) on the man advantage over that stretch, which won’t get the job done more often than not.

Now, the Islanders must face a Rangers penalty kill that ranks No. 12 (80.2%) in the NHL. On top of that, the latter also owns the No. 7 power play (32.1%), so it’s safe to say that the Rangers have the special team advantage in this one.

The Rangers also have the advantage of having momentum on their side. After all, they had won seven games in a row before losing to the Penguins, so it remains to be seen if that loss was just a tiny hiccup in the grand scheme of things.

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ELVIS HAS JUST LEFT THE BUILDING!

The Penguins snap the Rangers' seven-game win streak with a 3-2 victory at home. pic.twitter.com/0eabk5O6FG

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) December 21, 2022

One way that the Rangers can bounce back is if Igor Shesterkin has a strong game between the pipes. Even though he’s been solid this season, recording a .918 save percentage (SV%) and 2.42 goals-against average (GAA) in 25 starts, he’s struggled against the Islanders throughout his career.

In nine career starts against the Islanders, Shesterkin is only 1-7-1 with a .884 SV% and 3.15 GAA. He’s allowed at least three goals in six of those starts and just gave up four on 26 shots during November’s Islanders vs Rangers tilt.

Having said that, the 26-year-old goaltender has won six of his last seven starts, playing to a 1.98 GAA and .931 SV%. With him also having not lost at home in nearly three weeks, I like the Rangers’ chances of picking up the win tonight even more.

At the end of the day, I can’t see the Rangers getting swept this season, so look for them to beat the Islanders tonight. Sure, the Islanders have owned their rivals lately, however, it’s hard to trust them due to their recent play, as well as their banged-up lineup.

In addition to a Rangers victory, I’m also predicting the total going under 5.5 goals. For starters, these two teams are in the top 10 when it comes to the fewest goals allowed. Secondly, the total has gone under in 11 of the last 14 Islanders vs Rangers matchups, averaging out to just 4.6 goals in that stretch.

After only three goals were scored in the last meeting, I’m predicting another low-scoring affair in the cards.

Other Islanders vs Rangers Resources

• Islanders vs Rangers Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats