New York Islanders vs Boston Bruins Betting Pick & Prediction 1/5/25

The Islanders and Bruins are set to face off at 6:00 ET on ESPN+. The Bruins will host the game at TD Garden in Boston, MA. The odds for this Eastern conference game currently have the Bruins as the -1.5 goal favorite with the over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS VS BOSTON BRUINS BETTING PICK

The Pick: Boston Bruins -1.5

This game will be played at TD Garden at 6:00 ET on Sunday, January 5th.

WHY BET THE BOSTON BRUINS:

• With the Bruins being favored by 1.5, our NHL analytics models has this one playing out 4-3 in favor of the Bruins.
• Take the Bruins on the moneyline
• On the spread, we like Islanders (+1.5)

Will the Islanders Find a Way to Win on the Road?

The Islanders fell to 14-18-7 after a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Entering as underdogs on the puck line, the total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the teams combined for 7.

New York trailed 2-0 before Casey Cizikas scored at 15:22 in the second period. The Islanders added another goal in the second, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third.

Casey Cizikas netted his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth in the Islanders’ 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Cizikas got the Islanders on the board in the second period, and Nelson followed with a goal just 8 seconds before the period ended.

Despite 37 shots on goal, the Islanders couldn’t find the net in the first or third periods. They recorded 23 giveaways in the game.

On the defensive side, the Islanders gave up the first goal just 3:44 into the game and allowed two more in the 3rd period, including an empty-netter, leading to a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with an 89.7% save percentage, while the Islanders’ defense recorded 12 takeaways and 17 hits.

Can Boston Pull Out the Win as Home Favorites?

With a 2-0 win over the Kraken, the Bruins improved to 20-17-4 this season. Boston covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, with the total of 2 goals falling short of the pre-game line of 6.

Both of Boston’s goals came in the first period, with Justin Brazeau scoring at 16:37 and Charlie Coyle adding a power-play goal at 10:03. The Bruins’ defense held strong, limiting Seattle to 23 shots on goal.

Boston took 33 shots on goal but only found the net twice in their 2-0 win over Seattle. Justin Brazeau opened the scoring with his 5th goal of the season, while Charlie Coyle added his 2nd, which came on a power play.

Both of the Bruins’ goals came in the first period, with Brazeau scoring 3:23 into the game. Boston had 16 giveaways and recorded 4 assists.

The Bruins’ defense was rock solid in their last game, shutting out the Kraken in a 2-0 victory. Jeremy Swayman made 23 saves, posting a 100% save percentage, while the defense added 5 takeaways and 15 hits. The Bruins also blocked 27 shots and didn’t allow a goal after taking a 2-0 lead in the first period.