Islanders vs. Rangers prediction: Odds, picks, best bet for Thursday’s rivalry clash

You don’t want to get too caught up in motivational angles when handicapping the NHL, but it’s hard not to wonder where the Rangers’ heads are at right now.

The Blueshirts looked listless in a 5-2 loss to the Islanders at UBS Arena on Wednesday night, and now have to go right back at their rivals at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

The Islanders, who had some pep in their step after acquiring Ondrej Palat and Carson Soucy, jumped all over the Blueshirts and never looked like they were under any real pressure.

Will we see a similar display from both teams 24 hours later?

Islanders vs. Rangers odds, prediction

The Islanders have been an interesting case study this season.

Greater than the sum of their parts, the Isles are sitting in a playoff spot thanks to elite goaltending, timely heroics from their best skaters (notably Matthew Schaefer and Bo Horvat), and mediocrity from their division rivals.

The Isles deserve a lot of credit for being where they’re at in the standings, but nobody is going to confuse them with an elite team. Pesky, for sure, but not one that can get by on talent alone.

That’s why the odds for Thursday night speak volumes about the state of the Rangers.

The Rangers are without Igor Shesterkin and Artemi Panarin, but they’re +115 underdogs on home ice against a bitter rival. And that line may keep growing, as you will be hard-pressed to find many punters willing to spend their hard-earned cheddar on a team that looked like it wanted to be anywhere else in the world than UBS Arena on Wednesday evening.

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Buying low is a best practice in betting, but you need to draw the line somewhere.

As for the Islanders, -135 doesn’t seem too outrageous with Ilya Sorokin set to go up against the out-of-form Jonathan Quick, but perhaps the best way to build some value is to lean into the rout.

If the Isles are able to get ahead early, MSG could turn toxic, and the Rangers could do something they’ve done plenty of times this season and wilt.

Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller of the Rangers. Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

We’ll play the alternate line of Islanders -2.5 at +270 and tag it with Jonathan Drouin to break his goal-scoring drought at +380 (FanDuel).

Drouin has been dreadful in front of goal during his two-and-a-half-month schneid, but he’s been getting better looks of late and seems to be clicking with linemates Anthony Duclair and Mathew Barzal.

The Rangers have been terrible in their own zone lately, so this is as good an opportunity as any for Drouin to get the monkey off his back.

Same-Game Parlay: Islanders -2.5/Jonathan Drouin to score 1+ goals (+878, FanDuel)

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.