Welcome back to the Betway Bets of the Day! All bets are for one unit unless otherwise noted.
Our first bet of the day is the New York Islanders and Toronto Maple Leafs u5.5 Total Goals. This line sits at +110.
For both the Islanders and Maple Leafs, their consistency on the backend has been their strength this season. Despite the Islanders scoring an average of 2.94 goals per game (24th in the NHL), their team defence is why they are only 3 points back of a playoff spot. New York allows an average of 2.77 goals per contest (9th best in the NHL). Expected Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin has been outstanding this season, posting a 2.37 GAA and a .924SV%. Toronto has a similar story: their defensive numbers are near the league’s top. The Maple Leafs have been better than the Islanders slightly, however, as Toronto allows an average of 2.64 goals per game (6th in the NHL). Maple Leafs expected goaltender Ilya Samsonov comes in tonight with a 2.22 GAA and a .919SV%.
History will be on the side of the under tonight. In the last handful of matchups between these two teams, the under 5.5 has hit in four of the previous five. Along with history indicating that the under is likely, the Islanders’ recent inability to score is also a strong indication. New York has not scored more than 3 goals in a game since Jan. 3, 2023.
Our second bet of the day is Artemi Panarin Anytime Goalscorer. This line sits at +187.
Panarin has turned into a matchup nightmare for the Florida Panthers. Panarin scored a goal in three consecutive games against Florida and in four of his last five. I love the value of this bet of the day as a result. Panarin has been finding scoring opportunities, as he is averaging 4 shots on goal per game over his last three games.
The Rangers forward will also get plenty of opportunities to find the scoresheet tonight, as Panarin is averaging just over twenty minutes of ice time this season. Panarin is projected to skate alongside Zibanejad and Kreider on the Rangers’ top line and will be pencilled in on the top Power Play unit. The Panthers are ranked in the bottom third of the league in Goals allowed per game (3.38).
Record: 50-54-1
