Canucks vs. Islanders odds, prediction

The New York Islanders can move into a playoff spot for the first time since Nov. 19 with a win over the Vancouver Canucks at UBS Arena on Wednesday night.

It’s been a weird, winding season for the Islanders, but they’ve managed to stick around in the wild-card race and could put themselves in the pole position for the final playoff spot with a victory over the Canucks.

Vancouver needs a win to pull within three points of the red-hot St. Louis Blues for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

The Islanders and Canucks may be in different conferences, but this will feel like a playoff game on Wednesday night.

Adding to the drama is the fact that the game is currently lined as a pick’em, with both sides sitting at -110 at Bet365 Sportsbook.

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Canucks vs. Islanders betting preview 

The Islanders and Canucks were built to be very different teams. 

The Canucks came into the season with high expectations thanks to their star power, and just needed to fill out their depth to be considered a contender. 

The Isles were the opposite. The Islanders had plenty of supporting players, but not enough starpower to make them a threat.

Betting on the NHL?

But weird stuff happens throughout an 82-game season, and somehow, these two teams now find themselves in very similar situations with the same problems. 

Injuries and trades have left both of these rosters depleted, meaning both the Islanders and Canucks are now relying more on sheer determination than anything else to get them over the playoff cutline.

Canucks vs. Islanders pick

There are a lot of signals that point to this being a tight contest. 

The bookmakers can’t separate these two teams, the total is sitting at 5.5 with heavy juice to the under, and the stakes are so high that you’d imagine both teams will play things close to the vest. 

These kinds of games are usually officiated like playoff games, meaning power plays will be few and far between, limiting scoring chances.

But instead of backing an expensive under, the savvier move would be to take a shot on this game going to overtime.

The Canucks are tied for the most overtime games this season (20), while the Isles are not far behind with 17 – including three in a row. 

Getting better than +300 on this to go beyond 60 minutes feels like a gift.

The Pick: 60-minute draw (+310)

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Why Trust New York Post Betting

Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.