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It’s been a frustrating start to the season for the New York Islanders.
Sitting at 2-2-2, the Isles have already left four points on the table due to blown leads and/or the inability to turn a strong performance into a win.
The latest edition of this trend came Tuesday night when they lost, 1-0, to the Detroit Red Wings despite outshooting the Wings, 29-10.
The Isles are choosing to focus on the positive — they’ve been the better team in most games they’ve played this season — but this is not a group that can afford to leave points on the table.
The Islanders kick off a critical back-to-back against New Jersey and Florida on Friday night in Newark. The Devils are -137 favorites at FanDuel as of Friday afternoon.
Devils vs. Islanders prediction
The Isles are not the only team in this matchup looking for consistency.
The Devils came into the season with massive expectations after a splashy summer, but they’ve stumbled to an 0-2-1 stretch after a hot start.
New Jersey has allowed a whopping 19 goals in that span.
The good news for both teams is that the other’s struggles line up with their own. The Islanders can’t score, while the Devils can’t keep the puck out of their net. Something has to give Friday night.
Given the schedule scenario — the Devils lost, 5-3, in Detroit on Thursday — and New Jersey’s form, it does look like the Islanders provide value if you were to back a side.
The Isles rank inside the top 10 in shot attempt share and expected goals percentage at 5-on-5, but their offensive woes and special teams issues make them hard to back right now.
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Instead, we’ll take a shot on a big price in the prop market.
Noah Dobson broke out in 2023-24 with a 70-point campaign that saw him establish himself as a potential Norris Trophy candidate but he’s yet to have a massive impact through six games.
The 24-year-old does have four points, but he’s yet to score and is quarterbacking a struggling power play. Dobson’s slow start is not for lack of trying, though.
Dobson is averaging more than three shots on goal per game and the Isles will look for him to step things up even further as they search for more offense.
This matchup should provide plenty of good looks on the rush for Dobson and the Isles, so back him at +750 odds to open his account for 2024-25.
The Bet: Noah Dobson to score (+750, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff handicaps the EPL, NHL, golf and anything else that isn’t the NFL and NBA for the NY Post. He’s up 49.73 units betting EPL with a 7.17% ROI.