New York Rangers vs. New York Islanders Odds, Analysis, NHL Betting Pick

Two Metropolitan Division teams that will likely be sellers rather than buyers before Feb. 26's NHL trade deadline will meet Thursday in Brooklyn, New York, with the New York Islanders (27-25-6) hosting the New York Rangers (27-25-5) as small home favorites.

While both teams are within range of earning the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, finishing in the top three of the Metro does not seem likely, which means wholesale changes could be coming before the deadline.

Betting line: The Islanders opened as -135 favorites (wager $135 to win $100); the total is at 6.5 goals, according to sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark. Line updates and matchup report.

NHL betting pick, via OddsShark computer: 3.1-3.0, Islanders. NHL picks on every game.

Check out the OddsShark podcast on iTunes or at OddsShark.libsyn.com for more odds info, picks and a breakdown of this week's top sports betting news.

Why the Rangers Can Pay on the NHL Lines

The Rangers are coming off a 3-2 road loss to the Minnesota Wild Tuesday, but they had won two in a row prior to that, beating the Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets as underdogs. Two of their past three losses have also been decided by just one goal, with each taking place on the road.

Henrik Lundqvist has started the past seven games in goal as well, and he has been solid. Against the Jets, Lundqvist looked like his old self in stopping 37 of 38 shots he faced.

Why the Islanders Can Pay on the NHL Lines

The Islanders have dominated the series with the Rangers recently, winning the past five meetings between the teams—and nine of the past 10, according to the OddsShark NHL Database. Their previous three home games in this intercity rivalry have all been decided by two goals, and they routed the Rangers 7-2 in the teams' most recent meeting, on January 13 at Madison Square Garden.

While the Islanders have lost four of five overall, they have not lost three in a row since January 5, ending two-game skids three consecutive times.

Smart Betting Pick

It is hard to deny the dominance of the Islanders in this matchup, as the Rangers have beaten them only once since 2015. Two of the past three wins for the Rangers in this series have also been decided by one goal, although those both happened on the road. The Islanders are the better bet here and will extend their series winning streak to six.

NHL Betting Trends

The Rangers are 3-8 in their past 11 games.

The Rangers are 2-8 in their past 10 games on the road.

The total has gone over in four of the Islanders' past six games.

All NHL odds and betting trends according to Bleacher Report's official odds partner, OddsShark. All quotes gathered firsthand unless otherwise noted. Check out Twitter for injury and line-movement updates and the OddsShark YouTube page for picks and analysis, or download the free odds tracker app.