It Is Crazy But Play This +360 Angle In Lightning Vs. Islanders

Lightning vs. Islanders, 8:00 ET

I haven't had a hockey play since the All-Star Break and to be quite honest, I'm not sure that I missed it. I'm sure the books have missed it because I essentially was able to give them money in the majority of games I've played this year. Still, things can always change and I always look to fire away when I have an edge on a game. Tonight I feel like I have found that edge and it is in a matchup between the Lightning and the Islanders. 

Tampa Bay will probably make the playoffs, or at least look to make a run at the playoffs. They currently sit at 27-19-5 on the season and sit in fourth place of the Atlantic Division. The biggest issue for the Lightning is that they struggle on the road. On the season, they are just 10-14-2 when they play away from Tampa. Nikita Kucherov leads the team as usual, and he currently has 86 points, one of the top totals in the NHL. Unsurprisingly, he leads the team in points, goals, and assists. The Lightning score about 3.43 goals per game on just 30 shots but they are allowing 3.28 goals against per game and allowing 29.7 shots per game. On the road, they've allowed four or more goals in 14 games. They've only played 26 road games, so they are allowing four goals per game in over half of their road games. Not all of them have been losses, but they are not bringing their defense with them on the road. Tonight the guess is that Jonas Johansson is in the net. He has allowed 3.34 goals per game to opponents and only stops .894% of attempts this season. He has only played once this calendar year and he allowed just one goal in his game. The Islanders are a solid offensive team and could take advantage of the rust that Johansson might have. 

Islanders forward Brock Nelson pulls his tooth out after he got hit in the mouth against the Maple Leafs. (Credit: Screenshot/Twitter Video https://twitter.com/IslesMSGN/status/1617692059514675201)

The Islanders are also in the fourth spot of the Metropolitan Division and they sit at 21-17-12 on the year. The 12 overtime losses is a ridiculous amount, but at least it reflects how competitive they have been in games. This doesn't even count the number of games that they have won in overtime or in a shootout. In total, they have been in 18 games that go to overtime. They have been solid at home this season with a 12-6-7 record, but they've played really bad hockey basically since the year turned to 2024. Since January 1, they are 4-7-3. I still look at that as being just 4-10 in terms of straight winning and losing of games. They've fallen in seven of their past nine games (two losses in overtime and one win in overtime) but five of the games were road contests. Ilya Sorokin is probably going to be in the net for the Islanders. Sorokin has been very similar to what Johansson has been this season. On the year, he is allowing 3.14 goals per game and saving .910% of shots against him. The team is a bit more balanced than the Lightning, but they are still scoring under three goals per game while allowing 3.30 goals against per game. 

My first inclination is that the game will likely go over, but I just can't count on the Islanders to score. Both of the goalies allow three goals per game which would put this as likely to go into overtime. Honestly, I think that is the best look in this game. I feel like both of these teams match up rather well and I am going to take the 60-minute line to be a draw at +360. There is no clear edge for either team - though the moneyline has shifted in favor of the Islanders. Back this game to go into overtime. 

For more sports betting information and plays, follow David on Twitter: @futureprez2024