New York Islanders vs Nashville Predators Picks and Predictions March 1st 2025

New York Islanders vs Nashville Predators March 1st 2025

The Predators and Islanders are set to face off at 12:30 ET on ESPN+. The Islanders will host the game at UBS Arena in Elmont, NY. The odds for this non-conference game currently have the Islanders as the -1.5 favorite, with the over/under line sitting at 5.5 goals.

Nashville vs. New York Key Information

• Teams: Predators at Islanders
• Where: UBS Arena Elmont
• Date: Saturday, March 1st
• Betting Odds NYI -137 | NAS +117 O/U 5.5

The Predators Can Win If…

Nashville moved to 21-30-7 with a 5-2 win over the Avalanche. The Predators were favored on the puck line and covered it, with the total of 7 goals going over the pre-game line of 6.5.

All five of Nashville’s goals came from different players. The Avalanche scored first, but the Predators responded with five straight goals to secure the win.

Nashville’s offense fired 25 shots on goal and found the net five times in their 5-2 win over Colorado. Two of their goals came on power plays, with Roman Josi scoring his first goal of the season and Steven Stamkos adding his second. Filip Forsberg picked up his 7th goal on an empty net, while Gustav Nyquist added his 4th, also on an empty net.

The Predators were held scoreless in the first period before Steven Stamkos got them on the board with a power-play goal. Colton Sissons followed with his first goal of the season. Nashville had 15 giveaways in the game.

Defensively, the Predators will look to build on their previous performance, where they allowed just two goals to Colorado. Juuse Saros made 29 saves with a 93.5% save percentage. The Predators’ defense also contributed 4 takeaways and 23 hits. The first goal they allowed came 2:54 into the second period, and the other came late in the third, at the 17:43 mark.

• Over their last three regular season games, the Predators have gone 1-2 straight up. The team’s record vs the puck line was just 1-2, in addition to an over-under mark of 0-3.
• Nashville has put together a record of 3-7 in their last ten games (regular season). This includes going 3-7 vs. the puck line along with an over-under mark of 4-6.

The Islanders Can Win If…

The Islanders dropped to 26-25-7 after a 5-2 loss to the Rangers. As +1.5 goal underdogs, the Islanders failed to cover the puck line. The total for the game was set at 6 goals, but the combined score of 7 surpassed that figure.

New York fell behind 3-0 before Casey Cizikas scored at 15:22 in the second period. Brock Nelson added another goal for the Islanders at 19:52 in the second, cutting the deficit to 3-2, but the Rangers pulled away with two more goals in the third.

In their 5-2 loss to the Rangers, the Islanders took 37 shots on goal but only found the net twice. Casey Cizikas scored his first goal of the season, while Brock Nelson added his fifth, with Nelson’s goal coming just 8 seconds before the end of the second period.

The Islanders recorded 23 giveaways and were unable to capitalize on any power play opportunities. Pierre Engvall picked up his first assist of the season on Cizikas’s goal, and Simon Holmstrom added his fourth assist. Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee were credited with assists on Nelson’s goal, giving them 4 and 3 assists on the season, respectively.

Defensively, 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 at 3:23. Ilya Sorokin made 35 saves with an 89.7% save percentage. The Islanders’ defense also recorded 12 takeaways and 17 hits.

• The Islanders have gone 1-2 over their last three regular season games. Their record against the puck line in this stretch is 1-2 to go along with an over-under mark of 1-1-1.
• Over their last ten regular season games, the Islanders have gone 5-5 straight up. Against the spread, New York went 6-4 in these games and finished with an over-under mark of 5-4-1.

The Lean

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Islanders to come out with a win against the Predators while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at -137, I’m placing my bet on the Islanders to win outright.

When making a puck line pick, we’re backing the Islanders to win and cover. Watch for the Islanders to win this game by multiple goals over the Predators.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

Islanders Look to Pick Up Steam in Encounter vs. Predators

The New York Islanders are at a critical juncture in their season where the style of their wins matters far less than simply getting them more frequently. As they prepare to host the Nashville Predators on Saturday afternoon in Elmont, N.Y., they understand the urgency of their playoff push.

New York currently sits seven points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, with five teams ahead of them in the standings. With the trade deadline approaching next Friday, the Islanders need to string together victories to convince management they can be a playoff contender.

Islanders’ Offense Struggling to Find Consistency

The Islanders’ season has been marked by inconsistency, with their only extended stretch of success coming during a seven-game winning streak from Jan. 20 to Feb. 1. Since then, they have stumbled, going 2-5-0 in their last seven games.

Scoring has been a major issue, as they have failed to score more than three goals in their last nine games and in 15 of their past 17. However, goaltender Ilya Sorokin gave them a much-needed boost on Thursday, making 38 saves in a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. Goals from Alexander Romanov and Kyle Palmieri were enough to hold off their division rivals.

“I thought we did OK,” head coach Patrick Roy said. “Sometimes you just need to find a way to win, and that’s what we did. We played well enough to win.”

A more complete roster helped the Islanders, as Noah Dobson returned from an 11-game absence due to a lower-body injury, and Ryan Pulock recently came back from injury as well.

“We know the position we’re in,” said captain Anders Lee. “We know we’ve got to put something together here.”

Predators Searching for Momentum After Upsetting Winnipeg

The Nashville Predators have struggled to find their footing this season, despite an active offseason that saw them add Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault, and Brady Skjei.

Nashville endured a six-game losing streak from Jan. 25 to Feb. 7, getting outscored 21-10 during that span. However, the Predators have since won three of their last five games, including a 2-1 victory over the Western Conference-leading Winnipeg Jets on Thursday night.

In that game, Filip Forsberg opened the scoring early, and Tommy Novak netted the game-winning goal on the power play late in the first period. It was a much-needed response for Nashville, which had suffered blowout losses to New Jersey (4-1) and Florida (5-1) earlier in the week.

Head coach Andrew Brunette praised his team’s resilience against Winnipeg.

“A gutsy effort by everybody,” Brunette said. “Everybody contributed, everybody brought something. So, we’re able to leave this game here tonight with a good feeling. We haven’t left too many nights with a good feeling, so hopefully we can build a little momentum off this.”

Defensive Challenges for Nashville

While the Predators allow a manageable 29.4 shots per game, they stepped up defensively against the Jets, limiting them to just 24 shots—their lowest allowed since Jan. 29. Juuse Saros made 23 saves to secure the victory, providing a much-needed defensive performance.

However, Nashville was without captain Roman Josi, who suffered an upper-body injury against Florida on Tuesday after a hit from Sam Bennett. Josi is day-to-day, and his status for Saturday’s game remains uncertain.

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What’s at Stake?

With the trade deadline looming, the Islanders must prove they can make a serious push for the playoffs. A win against Nashville would keep them within striking distance of the wild-card race and possibly encourage management to add reinforcements.

For Nashville, building off their statement win over Winnipeg is crucial. They need consistent performances to stay competitive in the Western Conference playoff picture.

Expect a tight, defensive battle between two teams desperate to find consistency and gain momentum as the season enters its final stretch.