Penguins vs. Islanders Game 3 Prediction
With the series tied at one game apiece, the Penguins and Islanders will shift venues on Thursday night when their first-round matchup continues at 7:00 p.m. ET. Will the Islanders listed as slight moneyline favorites and the total sitting at 5 goals, what’s the best bet when it comes to this matchup?
Game Snapshot
035 Pittsburgh Penguins (-105) at 036 New York Islanders (-115); o/u 5
7:00 p.m. ET, Thursday, May 20, 2021
Venue: Barclays Center, New York, NY
Pittsburgh Penguins DFS Spin
Evgeni Malkin (undisclosed) will travel with the team, per coach Mike Sullivan. Pittsburgh’s best-of-seven series versus the New York Islanders shifts to the road for Games 3 (Thursday) and 4 (Saturday). Malkin, who didn’t skate on Wednesday, has missed the first two games of the postseason due to an undisclosed ailment. He could end up being listed as a game-time decision again on Thursday night.
New York Islanders DFS Spin
Semyon Varlamov allowed two goals on 45 shots during Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to the Penguins in Game 2 of their first-round series. Varlamov gave up a terrible goal to Bryan Rust (1-0) just 3:22 into the game, but he settled into the game nicely over the final 40 minutes. The Russian netminder managed to keep the game tight in the third period, as the Pens were looking to bury the Islanders. The 33-year-old missed Game 1 because of a lower-body injury, but he should continue to start in this series. This best-of-seven series is now tied, 1-1. Game 3 will be played in New York on Thursday night.
Penguins vs. Islanders NHL Prediction
The Penguins are 7-2 in the last nine meetings between these two teams and are 7-2 in their last nine road games. They’re also 27-11 in their last 38 games after scoring two goals or less in their previous contest and are 38-18 in their last 56 games overall. Meanwhile, the Islanders are 2-5 in their last seven games overall and have dropped six of their last eight games as a favorite.
NHL PREDICTION: PITTSBURGH PENGUINS -105