Flyers vs. Islanders Betting Preview (September 3, 2020)

On Thursday night, the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders meet in the sixth game of their second-round series. Let’s get into our Flyers-Islanders betting preview, including odds, boosts, and picks.

Flyers vs. Islanders Betting Preview

Every time it feels like pundits have a grasp on this series between Philadelphia and New York, something happens that upends the trending narrative around the series.

After a 4-0 blowout loss in Game 1, one that was closer than the scoreline would indicate, the Flyers bounced back with a 4-3 overtime win that appeared to reestablish the Eastern Conference’s top seed as the dominant force in the series.

Fast-forward two games and the Flyers were staring elimination in the face after falling into a 3-1 hole in the series. Many national pundits had already begun breaking down how the Islanders would match up against the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. Not so fast.

The Flyers roared out to a 3-1 lead and appeared to have new life. The ever-resilient Islanders fought back to force overtime for the second time in the series and appeared to have all the momentum. The Flyers were absolutely dominant in overtime and took home the Game 5 victory.

The teams suffered huge blows in Game 5 as the Islanders lost Mathew Barzal to a scary eyelid injury and the Flyers lost Selke Trophy finalist Sean Couturier to an apparent knee injury after a hard collision at the end of the second period. The absence of one or both players could be huge in determining the outcome of this one.

Flyers vs. Islanders Odds

Here’s the line for the Flyers and Islanders at DraftKings Sportsbook PA:

Spread: Flyers +1.5 -245, Islanders -1.5 +200
Moneyline: Flyers +114, Islanders -132
Over/Under: O 5 -122, U 5 +102

[sb-standard teams=”Philadelphia Flyers” books=”DraftKings”]

Bets We Like With a Flyers Win

Money Puck gives the Flyers a 45.1% chance of winning this game, a 6.3% downtick versus ahead of Game 5. This is a worrisome prediction for the Flyers as Money Puck correctly predicted the winners of Game 2-5. The Flyers’ implied win probability, based on the moneyline, is 46.7%, representing a drop of 2.1% from ahead of Game 5.

Flyers Win and Over 5 Total Goals (+295, DraftKings)

It was easy for Flyers fans to walk away from Game 5 with a renewed sense of optimism. After all, the Flyers’ win was just their second in five games this series and eight overall after going 0-2-1 against the Islanders in the regular season.

The desperation the Flyers brought to the table in Game 5 would behoove them in Game 6. They’ll need another Herculean effort, especially given the possibility that they’ll be without Sean Couturier.

To be clear: picking the Flyers to win without Couturier is far from a safe bet, though any news indicating the Islanders will be without Mathew Barzal would move the needle quite a bit.

Thus far in the series, the under has hit twice, the over has hit twice, and there’s been a push on total goals one time. Ten of the Flyer’s past 13 games have gone under the total goals threshold, though two of the outliers are their Game 2 and Game 5 OT wins. If you like the Flyers to win, parlay it with the over.

You can get this one at DraftKings Sportsbook by clicking here.

Flyers and Golden Knights Both to Win (+225, FOX Bet)

This bet was offered at the exact same odds ahead of Game 5. Once again, a large part of this comes down to whether or not you believe the Flyers can stave off elimination and win their second consecutive game against the Islanders, which is something they haven’t done all year. The Golden Knights are in a similar position in Game 6 as they were in Game 5, just one win away from the Western Conference Final. They can clinch a spot with a win over the Vancouver Canucks. Vegas leads their series 3-2, and has been installed as a -250 moneyline favorite. While Vegas has been dominant in their wins -posting a 5-0 and 3-0 shutout to pair with a 5-3 result in Game 4- Vancouver held them in check with a 2-1 Game 5 win. Still, this bet is worth consideration.

New users at FOX Bet can get a $20 free bet with no deposit and a $100 deposit match when they sign up in PA here and NJ here.

Bets We Like With an Islanders Win

Islanders to Win and Under 5 Goals (+245, DraftKings)

In three regular season matchups between Philadelphia and New York, the teams averaged just under 8 goals per game combined, blowing past the O/U line.

While we’d seen the over hit just once in the first four games of the series, Game 5’s seven goals represented the second time the over hit. The interesting trend in this series is that the under has hit twice, both coming in Islanders wins.

New York has won six of eight games between the teams this season and 11-of-17 matchups dating back to February 2017. The Islanders have a great defensive system and have managed to keep the score low in games they’ve won against Philadelphia this postseason.

If you think the Islanders will win, get better value by parlaying it with Under 5 goals.

You can get this one at DraftKings Sportsbook by clicking here.

Bets We Like Independent of Outcome

Either Team to Score an Empty Net Goal (+130, FOX Bet)

The three of the past four games between the teams has seen the winning team pull out a victory by the slimmest of margins, with results of 4-3, 3-2, and 4-3 standing alongside 3-1 Islanders win in Game 3. Given the do-or-die nature of this one for Philadelphia, expect the Flyers to play a more wide-open game, which could result in one of the teams chasing late in the third period, leaving the net open for this bet to hit.

New users at FOX Bet can get a $20 free bet with no deposit and a $100 deposit match when they sign up in PA here and NJ here.

Over 0.5 Short-Handed Goals (+300, FOX Bet)

While the power play opportunities in this series have been few and far between, it’s worth noting that the Flyers and Islanders were dangerous teams when shorthanded. In fact, with eight short-handed goals in the regular season, the Flyers were tied for fourth in the entire league. The Islanders were no slouch, netting six of their own, good enough for sixth-most in the league. At +300 odds, this is worth taking a flier.

New users at FOX Bet can get a $20 free bet with no deposit and a $100 deposit match when they sign up in PA here and NJ here.

Flyers vs. Islanders Prediction

Pick: While we have to allow the possibility that Carter Hart can steal a game, we have to acknowledge just how big a loss Sean Couturier would be to the Flyers’ lineup. His absence would throw head coach Alain Vigneault’s lines into disarray and destabilize a team that cannot afford it in an elimination game. Take the Islanders and Under 5 goals.