New York Islanders vs. New Jersey Devils - 1/7/20 NHL Picks, Odds, and Prediction

Game: New York Islanders vs New Jersey Devils

Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Location: Prudential Center in Newark, NJ

TV: MSG/MSG+

Odds/Point Spread: Islanders (-145) Devils (+131)

Total/Over-Under: 5.5

Semyon Varlamov and the New York Islanders (25-12-3, 3rd in the Metropolitan Division) head to Prudential Center on Tuesday where they'll meet the New Jersey Devils (15-20-6, 8th in the Metropolitan Division). The Islanders open this game at -145 while the Devils are priced at +131. The total is set at 5.5. The Islanders cover 59.5% of the time, having gone 22-15 SU. The Devils cover 33.3% of the time, going 13-26 straight up.

The New York Islanders come into the game with a record of 25 wins and 12 losses, which puts them at 3rd in the Metropolitan Division. So far this year, they have converted a total of 112 goals which ranks 13th in the Eastern Conference and 26th in the league. Their goal differential is +8, which puts them at 13th in the league. The Islanders have earned a total of 53 points, which ranks 8th in the league and 5th in the Eastern Conference. In discussing shots at the opposition, they have earned a total of 1,148 which ranks 16th in the conference and 31st in the league. As a group, New York has racked up a total of 1,145 hits which means they have an average of 28.6 per contest. They have earned a total of 578 blocks for this year. The man in the crease for New York is Semyon Varlamov from Kuybyshev, USSR. He is 31 years old and has played 1,427 minutes in net this season. Varlamov is conceding 2.40 GAA which ranks him 6th in the Eastern Conference and 10th in the NHL. Over the course of this season, he's allowed 57 goals. He holds a save percentage of .920 which ranks him 5th in the Eastern Conference.

Related: NHL Totals Betting: Expert Tips and Advice

The New York Islanders will look for better times on the ice after their 3 - 0 loss against the Toronto Maple Leafs in their last game. The Islanders could have played much better offensively in the defeat. While out there on the ice, they netted 0 out of the 33 shots they attempted. They also had 1 power play attempt but didn't get a goal. New York racked up a total of 0 penalty mins for this game. The Corsi for the Islanders sat at 46 and the Corsi against was 46 which means they had a Corsi percentage of 50.0%. Their Fenwick was 37 and the Fenwick against sat at 34, which means they earned a Fenwick percentage of 52.1%. They earned 18 face-off wins at even strength and lost 23 of the face-offs. Their offensive zone starts came in at 57.7% and they had a PDO at even strength of 86.4 for this game. With regard to the opposition's stats, the Toronto Maple Leafs put up 23 shots. They had a total of 2 minutes in the box and they earned a total of 1 power play chance.

The Devils will be looking to add points to their total and for the season they have 15 victories and 20 defeats. When it comes to goal differential, they are currently sitting 15th in the conference and 30th in the NHL with -36. They have compiled a total of 104 goals for the season which is 15th in the Eastern Conference. New Jersey has a save percentage as a team of .890 which currently has them sitting 27th in the NHL, which means scoring chances could be plentiful if they are aggressive. They have a team shooting percentage of 8.2% putting them at 14th in the conference. In goal for New Jersey is MacKenzie Blackwood who is having a marginal campaign by allowing 2.83 goals per contest and that has him ranked 14th among Eastern Conference goalies and 26th among goalies in the NHL. In the 1,822 minutes he's been on the ice this year, he's surrendered 86 goals. His save % is .908, which puts him at 15th among Eastern Conference goalies and 32nd among goalies in the NHL.

Related: How to Turn Hockey Bets into Big Profits

The New Jersey Devils squared up with the Colorado Avalanche in a matchup where the Devils were on the wrong end of the score by a mark of 5 - 2. While out there on the ice, New Jersey wound up with a 41.1% Corsi rating. That percentage was had by having a Corsi of 37 and their opponent having a Corsi of 53. Their Fenwick percentage came in at 41.4% by way of having a Fenwick of 29 and the Avalanche having a 41 Fenwick. This Corsi percentage speaks to the kind of game that New Jersey had and it tells us that they didn't have their best game. They had a PDO at even strength of 86.2 and they had an oZS percentage of 53.5%. The Devils netted 2 goals out of the 30 shots on goal they pursued. They had 3 power play opportunities in this game and scored 1 out of those attempts. Concerning the opposition, the Avalanche had 3 power play opportunities but didn't tally a goal. New Jersey allowed 34 shots on goal and the Avalanche had a total of 6 minutes in the box.

Who will win tonight's NHL game ATS?

Josh's Pick: Take New Jersey (+131)

Get $60 worth of FREE premium member picks. No Obligation. No Salesman. No Credit Card. Fast Sign up with Instant Access Click Here