NHL Betting Preview: New York Rangers at New York Islanders

Added on Dec 02, 2010 by Jack Thurman in

NHL

The NHL’s version of the ‘Big Apple Battle’ takes place tonight as the New York Rangers make the quick trip out to Long Island to take on the New York Islanders. Islanders have been the worst team in hockey so far this season but despite their 13 game losing streak that ended last time out they’re just 3 points behind the New Jersey Devils in the Atlantic Division. Rangers have generally played well this season are are in third place in the division, but have been very erratic at times.

New York Rangers at New York Islanders
December 2, 2010 4:00 PM Pacific

We’re not suggesting you take a futures betting position on the Islanders to win the Stanley Cup, but don’t be surprised if they show some improvement over the next few months. They’ve put the 13 game losing streak behind them and the reality is that that run was as much due to bad luck as bad play. Six of the losses during the run were by a single goal, with three in OT or shootout. The Rangers are 7-2 against teams with losing records, but that suggests to us that they may not be as good as their record indicates since they don’t perform well when stepping up in class. And let’s not forget that one of the two losses to sub .500 teams came to the Islanders earlier this year.

This is the first of back to back games between the local rivals with the rematch on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. And we’re thinking that the Rangers will take to their home ice looking to avenge another loss to their expansion neighbors. Isles have been playing with good intensity since coach Scott Gordon was fired and replaced on an interim basis by Jack Capuano who had been the head coach of the team’s AHL affiliate. Instances where a coaching change is followed by run of better performances–even by losing team–are commonplace across all sports. Isles are also the beneficiary of a strange scheduling quirk–they last played on November 26 giving them almost a full week between games. Against a Rangers team that has shown little consistency from game to game we look for the Islanders to take the first game of this set.

Bet New York Islanders +115 over New York Rangers