NFL Previews 
MLB Previews 
NBA Previews 
NHL Previews 
Soccer Previews 
The Nashville Predators head to UBS Arena to face the New York Islanders on Saturday, January 31, 2026, with puck drop set for 7:00 PM ET on ESPN+. Nashville has been treading water lately, while New York is starting to look like a team that knows exactly what it wants to be, especially in these divisional-style grind games.
The Islanders are 30-19-5 and playing like a group that’s protecting a playoff spot, not chasing one. The Predators are 24-24-6 and still trying to turn “close but not enough” into actual points. This matchup feels important for both, but for different reasons. New York can separate from the pack. Nashville needs to stop the bleeding before it becomes a real slide.
Oddsmakers have the Islanders favored at home, and I get it. Still, this isn’t a free square, because the Predators’ top-end scoring can show up out of nowhere if the Islanders get sloppy with the puck.
Every Sharp Move, Every Capper, All Sports
Track professional picks, line steam, and market swings in real time.
Nashville Predators vs New York Islanders Odds
These are the current betting lines, but bettors should always monitor updated NHL odds leading into puck drop, especially with goalie confirmations and late injury news. Check the Nashville Predators vs New York Islanders odds on the latest NHL odds page before you lock anything in.
| Team | Moneyline | Puck Line | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nashville Predators | +110 | +1.5 (-222) | O 5.5 (-118) |
| New York Islanders | -130 | -1.5 (+175) | U 5.5 (-105) |
Nashville Predators Betting Form
Nashville’s issue right now is that the floor is a little too low. You’ll see stretches where they look structured, they forecheck, they generate enough looks, and then a bad turnover or a soft sequence in their own end flips the game. That’s been the story of a lot of their recent results, and it’s why they’ve had trouble stringing wins together.
From a betting angle, the Predators are tricky. Their offense can make them live as a plus-money moneyline dog, but they also drift into those games where they score once or twice and that’s it. If Juuse Saros gets the start and is sharp, I can see why some bettors would take a shot on the dog. If it’s not Saros, I’d be a lot less interested. Goalies matter more than people want to admit, and totals swing fast when the wrong guy is announced.
Injuries are part of the handicap too. The Nashville Predators injury report is worth monitoring because even one missing defenseman can change how long they can survive in-zone shifts against a heavy team like the Islanders. For a deeper snapshot of trends and matchups, you can track the Predators’ form on the Nashville Predators stats and results page.
New York Islanders Betting Form
The Islanders are playing with a pretty clear identity lately. They’re defending the middle, forcing you to take the long way around, and they’ve been comfortable winning games that don’t feel pretty. That’s usually the profile I trust more at home, because it travels well within a game even if the legs aren’t perfect.
The other thing is goaltending. If Ilya Sorokin is confirmed, New York’s baseline improves a lot. They don’t need to open the game up to win. They can win 3-2, 2-1, even 2-0 if they get the first goal and play from ahead. That’s valuable for moneyline bets as a moderate favorite and it also leans you toward unders when the matchup doesn’t scream speed.
Availability matters here too. The New York Islanders injury report is especially relevant given how much their structure depends on clean exits and stable pairings. If a key defender sits, it can push the Islanders into longer defensive shifts, and that’s when totals get messy. For the broader picture, the New York Islanders schedule and stats page is the best place to keep tabs on their recent profile.
Nashville Predators vs New York Islanders Matchup Breakdown
This game shapes up as a pace battle. Nashville would probably prefer more transition chances and a little more chaos. The Islanders are happy to slow it down, win puck battles, and turn the game into a series of “who makes the first mistake” moments. If you’re betting this, you’re basically picking which team gets to dictate that rhythm.
Special teams could decide it. If Nashville’s power play gets multiple looks, that’s one of the cleaner paths to stealing a road game at plus money. But if the Islanders stay out of the box and keep this mostly 5-on-5, I think New York’s defensive habits give them the edge. That’s where Nashville’s stretches of loose puck management tend to show up, and the Islanders will take those freebies.
Goaltending is the swing factor. Sorokin versus Saros is one kind of handicap. Anything else, and I’d need to reassess. I’m not guessing here. If you bet NHL regularly, you already know how often a “good bet” turns into a bad one when the crease news flips late.
If you want a quick refresher on how to weigh goalie uncertainty, special teams, and travel spots without overreacting, the NHL betting guide is useful. And with the schedule tightening toward the break, it’s also a good time to think bigger-picture market timing, especially if you’re dabbling in futures like the Stanley Cup betting markets.
NHL Lines Before the Puck Drops
Beat the Books to Every Number
Nashville Predators vs New York Islanders Predictions and Best Bets
My lean is Islanders moneyline. It’s not a “slam dunk” feel, but it’s the side that makes more sense if this game settles into a slower, tighter script. New York has been the more consistent team recently, and at home, they can play the kind of game that frustrates opponents who rely on momentum swings.
On the puck line, I don’t love laying -1.5 in what projects as a lower-event matchup. The Islanders can absolutely win by two, but their most common path is winning a close one, especially if Nashville gets competent goaltending. If you’re looking for a better price angle than the moneyline, I’d rather consider Islanders in regulation depending on the number you’re seeing close to puck drop, but again, that’s tied to confirmed goalies.
For the total, I lean Under 5.5. The Islanders are built to keep games from turning into track meets, and Nashville has had stretches where finishing is just not there unless the power play bails them out. The one thing that scares me off the under is a special-teams-heavy game or a sloppy first ten minutes with quick goals. If it starts clean, the under looks good.
Best Bet: New York Islanders moneyline (-130).
NHL Picks and Handicappers on ScoresAndStats
If you’re betting NHL consistently, you need volume and you need context. That’s why I like leaning on a centralized board of today’s NHL picks instead of chasing one-off opinions. You can compare multiple angles, find disagreements that are actually informative, and see which bets are being played with confidence versus which ones are more “price shopping” leans.
The other piece is accountability. Following top sports handicappers and checking the handicapper leaderboard keeps it honest over the long run, because hot streaks and cold streaks show up fast in hockey. When you want to step up from free leans into stronger conviction plays, that’s where premium NHL picks can make sense, especially on busy slates.
If you’re building a nightly routine, it also helps to scan the full board of matchups in one place. The NHL previews hub is a clean way to keep your reads consistent across the slate without jumping between a dozen tabs.
