NHL Best Team Prop Bet for New York Islanders vs. Columbus Blue Jackets

Tonight's game between the New York Islanders and the Columbus Blue Jackets is sure to be a thriller! The Islanders enter this game with their playoff hopes still alive as they chase a Wild Card spot. The Columbus Blue Jackets have been eliminated from playoff contention and have embraced their "spoiler" role.

The Islanders are the heavy favorite to win tonight, as a result, paying a premium price for them to win does not make much sense. I am approaching this game in a much more palatable way- a first period under.

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Islanders vs. Blue Jackets odds and total

Islanders vs Blue Jackets Prediction and Pick

Both starting goalies have been very adept at keeping opponents off the scoreboard in the first period this year, well above the league average of 39.6% for goalies with more than 15 starts. Ilya Sorokin in his 52 starts this year has held teams scoreless in the first period in 54% of those starts, while Daniil Tarsov has done the same in 50% of his 22 starts.

Both goalies do not allow multiple goals to be scored on them in the first period either. Sorokin has had that happen in only four games this year. Only once, in Tarasov's last 10 games has a team scored more than one goal in the first period and he currently has a five-game streak of registering a scoreless first period.

The Blue Jackets are also doing very well on their home ice, at keeping opponents off the scoreboard for the entire game- only allowing an average of 2.63 GAA in their last eight home games.

The Islanders are scoring an average of 2.38 goals/game in their last eight road games while allowing the home teams an average of 3.50 goals/game.

Targeting the first period under, instead of a single team total under, helps protect us from a stray goal sneaking past either goalie.

PICK: Islanders vs Blue Jackets 1st Period u1.5 (-105)

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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.