New York Islanders v New Jersey Devils tips: Devils ride hot streak into Sunday arvo clash

The New Jersey Devils roll into UBS Arena on Sunday 8 November at 11:00 am AEDT carrying the kind of form that makes punters sit up. Four wins from their last five outings, 10–5–0 on the season, and second in the Metropolitan Division — this is a Devils side that knows how to find the net. Across the ice, the New York Islanders are limping: two straight home losses, 7–5–2 overall, and coming off a 3–5 defeat to Carolina on Friday night. The story writes itself, but the market knows it too — New Jersey sit at 1.80, the Islanders at 1.95. The Devils' 3.4 goals per game dwarfs the Islanders' 2.79, and with Bo Horvat and Matthew Schaefer carrying the home offence against Jack Hughes' 19-point campaign for the visitors, this shapes as a test of whether the Islanders can arrest their slide on home ice or whether the Devils' wheels keep turning.

Limited recent head-to-head history means the yarn here is all about current form and where these two sit in the conference pecking order. The Devils are flying; the Islanders are searching. Our nhl predictions lean towards the visitors, and the case unfolds below.

Who wins Islanders v Devils?

The Devils' last five reads like a highlights reel: wins over St Louis (5–4), Edmonton (4–3), Vegas (5–2), and Dallas (5–1), with only a three-goal road loss to Colorado spoiling the run. That's four wins, averaging 4.2 goals for and 3.0 against, and a team that's winning by an average of 2.3 goals when they do get up. Coming off that Friday night St Louis win, the Devils have momentum and structure — Jack Hughes with eight goals and 11 assists, Jesper Bratt orchestrating with 13 points, and Arseny Gritsyuk chipping in eight goals. The power play is clicking at 19.15 per cent, and the Corsi sits at 58.7, meaning they're controlling possession and territory.

The Islanders, meanwhile, are staggering. Their last five shows two wins — narrow one-goal efforts over Minnesota (4–3) and Nashville (4–3) — sandwiched between losses to Carolina (3–5 on Friday), Edmonton (0–4), and Dallas (3–6). That's 2.8 goals for and 4.2 against, and the recent home form is particularly worrying: they've played just two at UBS Arena in that window, losing both. The 0–4 shutout by Edmonton and the 3–5 Carolina defeat tell the tale of a side leaking goals at home. Bo Horvat has seven goals and seven assists to lead the way, with Matthew Schaefer's 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) providing some offensive spark from the blue line, but the collective isn't firing. The Islanders' 2.79 goals per game and 2.71 against look respectable on paper, but the Devils' 3.4 for and 2.87 against paint a clearer picture of who's the more dangerous outfit right now.

The ladder tells the same story: New Jersey sit 10–5–0 with 20 points, the Islanders 7–5–2 with 16. The Devils are second in the Metropolitan; the Islanders are fifth. Possession metrics favour New Jersey (58.7 Corsi versus 51.9), and while the Islanders' penalty kill is strong at 86 per cent, the Devils' power play at 19.15 per cent gives them a genuine weapon. The Islanders' save percentage of 89.6 is better than New Jersey's 88.3, but when you're allowing 4.2 goals per game in your last five and the opposition is scoring 4.2, the goaltending edge doesn't count for much.

The market has this right: the Devils at 1.80 represent the form team on the road, while the Islanders at 1.95 are being asked to reverse a worrying home slide against a side that's won four of five. The Islanders need to find an extra gear, and quickly, but the evidence suggests the Devils' offensive firepower and possession game will be too much for a home side that's conceding freely. New Jersey look the play here, and the price reflects a side that's earned respect with recent performances.

Same Game Multi combos on the board

With both sides capable of lighting the lamp — the Devils averaging 4.2 goals in their last five, the Islanders managing 2.8 despite the losses — there's scope for multi-leg plays if you're chasing a bigger return. The Devils' power play and the Islanders' recent home defensive leaks suggest goals will flow, and punters looking to stack a few legs together have options. Same Game Multi is available for this one, though the specific combos aren't detailed here. If you're building your own, the Devils' scoring rate and the Islanders' recent home form (4.2 goals against per game) point towards an over-slant and New Jersey involvement.

The Sunday arvo yarn

This is a Sunday morning skate in Australia, an 11:00 am AEDT puck drop that pits a Devils side riding high against an Islanders outfit desperate to stop the rot at home. The Devils' 10–5–0 record and four wins from five is the kind of form that travels, while the Islanders' back-to-back home losses — including Friday's 3–5 defeat to Carolina — suggest UBS Arena isn't the fortress it needs to be. Jack Hughes versus Bo Horvat is a marquee centre matchup, but the supporting cast tilts New Jersey's way: Jesper Bratt's 13 points and Arseny Gritsyuk's eight goals give the Devils multiple scoring threats, while the Islanders are relying heavily on Horvat and Schaefer to drive offence.

The Devils' 58.7 Corsi and 19.15 per cent power play make them a well-rounded threat, and the Islanders' recent home record (0–2 in their last two at UBS) doesn't inspire confidence. New Jersey's ability to score in bunches — five against St Louis, five against Vegas, five against Dallas in that last-five stretch — suggests they'll find a way past an Islanders defence that's allowed 4.2 per game recently. The Islanders need to tighten up defensively and find the net more often, but the form line says the Devils are the side to trust here. The 1.80 price isn't huge, but it's fair for a team that's won four of five and sits second in the division. The Islanders at 1.95 are the home underdog, and on current form, that's the correct call.