Islanders vs. Flames player props, picks: NHL odds, best bets

The Islanders will continue their five-game road trip Tuesday as they take on the Flames.They suffered a tough-luck loss Saturday in Seattle, as they generated 12 high-danger chances while allowing only six, but struggled to solve goalie Joey Daccord. Coach Ryan Huska’s Flames side is off to a surprisingly strong start and is currently holding a wild-card spot at 9-6-3, despite being heavily favored to miss the playoffs this season. The greatest reason the Flames have outperformed their preseason expectations has been the stellar play of goaltenders Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar, who were projected to be one of the league’s worst duos entering the year. Vladar and Wolf have played to a .912 save percentage, which is the fifth-best mark in the NHL, and stopped 6.7 goals above expected. The Flames have allowed 30.83 shots against per 60 minutes this season, which is the seventh-highest mark in the league. Oddsmakers continue to disrespect the Islanders as they play without several important pieces such as Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech.The Islanders hold a record of 4-2-2, and a 50.0% expected goal share in the time those two have been sidelined.They have been underdogs in all but one of those matchups, which has made them a profitable side to back. At their current price of -105, I lean with the Islanders in this matchup but see more value in backing Noah Dobson to record Over 2.5 shots on goal at +128 odds (Bet365). Dobson has gone Over 2.5 shots on goal in nine of 18 games played this season.

He’s attempted 14.3 shots per 60 and averaged 25:00 of time on ice per game.The Flames provide Dobson with a better-than-average matchup to pour shots on target.He is also likely to play big minutes in most game scripts given the Islander’s current injury situation, and this game does seem likely to feature close score-lines. While Dobson has been Under 2.5 in four straight, his wider body of work suggests +128 odds is a great number versus a Flames side that all...