Hurricanes vs Islanders Prediction, Odds & Best Bet for NHL Playoffs Game 1 (Defense Leads Carolina to Victory)

The 2022-23 NHL Playoffs begin on Monday with a showdown between the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes.

Hurricanes vs Islanders Game Info

• Carolina Hurricanes (52-21-9) vs. New York Islanders (42-31-9)
• Date: Monday, April 17, 2023
• Time: 7:00 PM ET
• Venue: PNC Arena -- Raleigh, North Carolina
• Coverage: ESPN2, SN360, and TVAS2

The Islanders are back in the postseason for the fourth time in the last five years, while the Hurricanes are aiming to advance past the first round for the third straight year.

Hurricanes vs Islanders Odds & Spread

• All NHL betting lines, odds and prop bets are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
• Moneyline: CAR: (-170) | NYI: (+138)
• Spread: CAR: -1.5 (+158) | NYI: +1.5 (-192)
• Total: 5.5 -- Over: (+110) | Under: (-134)

The Hurricanes enter this contest as home favorites on the moneyline and spread per FanDuel Sportsbook's odds. This 7 p.m. ET clash also features an over/under of 5.5 goals, with the under favored at -134 odds.

Favorite	Underdog	Total	Spread
Hurricanes (-172)	Islanders (+142)	5.5	Hurricanes (-1.5)

Hurricanes vs. Islanders Betting Trends

• Carolina is 6-2 straight up in its last eight home games against the Islanders.
• The total has hit the under in eight of Carolina's last 10 games.
• The Islanders are 1-4 straight up in their last five road games.
• The total has hit the over in eight of the Islanders' last 12 games in April.

Hurricanes vs. Islanders Prediction & Pick

This is not the opponent the Islanders wanted to see right away. New York has lost 13 of its last 15 games against Carolina, which includes three of the four meetings this season. The Hurricanes are one of the only teams to beat up on goalie Ilya Sorokin, scoring 10 goals in those three victories.

That's worth pointing out since the Hurricanes are known more for their physical defense than they are their offense. Carolina ranks second in the league when it comes to goals allowed per game (2.55) and own a stellar home record of 28-10-3. The crowd will surely be rocking inside PNC Arena tonight.

I'll back the Hurricanes to keep their dominance over the Islanders going with a commanding win.

Final Score Prediction: Hurricanes: 3 | Islanders: 2

Hurricanes vs. Islanders Best Bet

I mentioned it above and I'll mention it again. Carolina is one of the best defensive squads in the NHL and that makes it no surprise that the total has hit the under in eight of its last 10 games overall. The under has also cashed in eight of the Islanders' last 12 games in the conference quarterfinals round. Back a physical, but low-scoring battle to go down here as each team tries to earn a 1-0 series edge.

Bet: Under 5.5 Goals (-134)

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel. 

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.