NHL betting: Islanders vs. Rangers odds, preview, prediction for Saturday 4/13

Islanders vs. Rangers Odds

Saturday, April 13, 12:30 p.m. ET, ABC

Odds via bet365. Get up-to-the-minute NHL odds here.

New York Islanders

Coming into Saturday's intra-divisional affair, the Islanders are riding a six-game winning streak. Included in that streak is a convincing, albeit harder than it needed to be, victory over the Montreal Canadiens last time out. In that game, the Isles were propped up by a 75.5% expected goals-for rating. However, they looked less effective in the five preceding wins.

Across the five-game sample, the Islanders were outplayed on three occasions. Cumulatively, they put together a 49.3% expected goals-for rating, but that benchmark looks a lot worse when adjusted for opponent. The Long Islanders got to beat up the Columbus Blue Jackets, Chicago Blackhawks and struggling Philadelphia Flyers. Further, they played three of five at home, giving them yet another advantage that isn't reflected in their expected goals-for rating.

Ineffective defensive zone coverage is sinking the Islanders. Over the same stretch, the Islanders allowed 11 or more high-danger chances in three of five, predictably getting out-chanced in all three of those outings.

Islanders goaltenders deserve a lot of credit for keeping the team in games, but their offense has also amplified scoring. Altogether, they're averaging 11 high-danger chances per game over the five-game stretch, scoring on 10.3% of shots. That puts them ahead of their regular-season average of 9.8% and on pace for a solid end to the season.

New York Rangers

The Rangers haven't been so lucky with their recent efforts. The Original Six squad has saved some of its best efforts for late in the season. Still, they have yet to be rewarded for their efforts.

Specifically, the Rangers head into the rivalry tilt on a two-game losing streak and a 3-3-0 record over their past six. However, there's an imbalance with their underlying metrics, supporting the Rangers are progression candidates over their coming games.

New York has outplayed its opponents in all but one of its last six outings, posting a cumulative 58.1% expected goals-for rating over that stretch. Most of their analytics success is being driven by improved offensive production, which will eventually translate to increased scoring.

Altogether, the Rangers have attempted 10 or more high-danger chances in four of six, averaging 9.8 quality opportunities. Likewise, scoring chances have improved, with the Rangers averaging 24.2, above their season-long benchmark of 22.3.

The Rangers are on the verge of a breakout, and we're expecting that to come in Saturday's showdown versus the Islanders.

Islanders vs. Rangers

Betting Pick & Prediction

There are a few plays worth considering ahead of this one.

Both teams head into the contest with impressive offensive metrics. Furthermore, Islanders goalies are on the precipice of collapse, operating well outside normal ranges in terms of save percentages. As such, the Over 5.5 at -115 or better warrants investment.

Additionally, the Rangers have been the superior team and are due for increased output and wins. We're taking this opportunity to back them at -200 or better.

But it might not all come crashing down at once for the Islanders. Desperately needing points for their playoff push, we wouldn't be surprised if this one was sorted out in overtime or a shootout. Anything better than +350 will do for that one

Pick: Over 5.5 (-115 via Bet365) | Rangers ML (-160 via PointsBet) | 60-minute tie (+360 via FanDuel)