The New York Islanders are on the brink of elimination from the NHL Playoffs, and the Canes are returning home for Game 5 to seal the deal. The PNC Arena fans helped propel the Canes to two home wins before the teams split a pair of games in New York, and it is now desperation time for the Isles. Now we look at a Islanders vs Hurricanes betting preview to set it up for you.
Islanders vs Hurricanes Betting Preview: Can the Isles avoid NHL Playoffs exit?
Game 5 Odds – Tuesday, April 25 – 7:07 ET Puck Drop
Islanders +135 ; +1.5 -200
Hurricanes -160 ; -1.5 +170
Total Goals 5.5 (Over +120 / Under -135)
Embed from Getty Images
The Hurricanes have had the Isles number all season long, as they have won 6 of the last 7 meetings in the series dating back to December 10. The Canes are looking forward to the opportunity to move on to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and the fans in Raleigh will surely be rallying the home team to take game 5 so they can advance early and rest up for the second round.
See y’all in Raleigh! pic.twitter.com/lrXRXCLXON
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) April 24, 2023
First of all, let me add that I have been playing a certain prop bet all season long because of the tremendous odds that correlate with the offer. Marathon and a handful of sportsbooks feature a bet that is a mini-combo because we need two things to happen to cash that puppy.
Carolina to Win Game 5 + Both Teams to Score a Goal ~ Odds: +140
That has slowly become my favorite bet to make over the last 3 months of the campaign, and it has worked out rather well for me. Putting plus-money offers on the board night after night sure comes in handy to boost the good ole ROI%, because that is the key to actually making money. Juice is not your friend, and any moron who thinks the juice doesn’t hurt if you win should quit betting now and take up KNITTING!
That is undoubtedly the worst approach anyone could take if they plan on making money betting on any sport on planet Earth! I have only been betting on sports for over 25 years, and I stay afloat because I know how to find value and take advantage of the odds.
Just when it seemed as if the Isles were going to return to Raleigh tied at two wins apiece, the Canes wasted no time putting the Islanders down 1 – 0 in Game 4 scoring the first goal of the night in less than 5 minutes. Carolina tacked on a pair of second-period goals to carry a 3 – 0 lead into the final frame and each team scored twice in the 3rd period to leave the Isles fans disappointed, 5 – 2.
Anyone following the Canes this season knows the approach for Coach Brind’Amour, as he wants rubber thrown at the net and bodies in front to pick up loose change. The more shots the merrier as far as he sees the game, and it has worked out in the first round against the Isles.
Carolina has also emphasized the defensive end of the ice and it’s been good enough to show them ranked as the #2 team in goals allowed (2.61), and #1 in shots allowed per game. Killing the man advantage has also been a key strength for the Canes, and that always points us to the goaltending situation which is in good hands.
Antti Raanta is 37 – 9 – 5 in his two years with the Canes since coming over from Arizona, and he’s accumulated six shutouts to his credit since coming to Raleigh.
Ilya Sorokin has made 188 starts for the Isles over the last two seasons, and he has kept the Islanders at the Top-10 of many defensive rankings most of this season. The Isles rank 5th in goals allowed (2.6 GPG) but the offense has had entirely too many issues with consistency this year.
New York ranks 30th in the NHL with a porous 15.8% conversion rate on the power play, and the struggles against Carolina this year stand out. Over the four regular season games between the two teams this year, the Islanders were 0 for 8 on the power play and not much has changed since the post-season has begun.
Carolina has only allowed one powerplay goal to the Islanders in the playoffs which came in the game 3 win in New York, but that still leaves the New Yorkers at 1 for 12 in the post-season and 1 for 20 in the season series against Carolina.
All right, well let’s cut to the chase and point out the best bets to make for Game 5 in Raleigh on Tuesday night.
I already pointed out the first bet to make, and those odds of +140 are indeed lovely! Make that your first bet and expect more goals to come as the game carries on. The Over 5.5 goals are listed at +120 and that will play well with the first bet when it is 2 – 1 Canes going to the second period.
The Islanders can ill afford to let the Canes play their simplistic game, but it has worked thus far for Carolina. I believe this series will be over tonight, and the Canes will snatch a 4 – 2 win to advance to the second round. It may take an empty net goal to get us there, but they count as much as any other goal would.
Game 5 Bets To Play
Carolina to Win + Both Teams to Score @ +140
Over 5.5 Goals OT Included @ +120
Enjoy game 5 of the Islanders vs Hurricanes, and expect the Canes to wrap up this series on Tuesday night!
