NHL Game 7 Playoff Picks and Predictions for Saturday Sept. 5

VegasInsider Staff Sports Betting Expert

11 minute read

Game set for Saturday Sept. 5, 2020
To be played in Toronto

NHL Side Best Bet

• Matchup: New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia
• TV-Time: NBC, 7:30 p.m. ET

New York Islanders ML -137

If this Islanders team ends up blowing this series, one where they had a 3-1 lead for one, and one where each of their first three losses came in OT, there will be a lot of guys in that dressing room that grasp what kind of opportunity they've blown.

Call it what you will these past two games, but the Islanders have gotten loose defensively in their own end at the wrong times, far too often, and are now forcing themselves to score four times just to have a chance at the win. That's not Islanders hockey, and in a Game 7 where power plays will be scarce and defensive hockey tends to rule the day, I'll take the better defensive team to begin with.

We've seen that in each of the six games, offensively the Islanders seem to be able to turn it on when they need too, and depending how hot those spurts burn, they could come out of one with a multi-goal lead which plays right into their hands.

After getting only OT wins in this series, chances are Philly's luck in that regard runs out. The Flyers could end up riding this high that they are for even forcing a Game 7 to a convincing win here, but them running completely out of gas and seeing their offense dry up after two OT victories is just as likely.

New York has been the better team for the bulk of this series, and they prove it one more time in Game 7 when there is much more doubt in a marketplace that had so much confidence in them the past two games.

NHL Prop Bet

• Matchup: New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia
• TV-Time: NBC, 7:30 p.m. ET

New York Islanders Team Total Over 2.5 -124

The Islanders have topped this mark in every one of the six games so far in this series, and they even had a three-goal period in the Game 6 loss. But being on New York to win leaves this the logical correlated prop wager to add to the card. New York hitting this mark in every game so far means the Game 7 winner has got to expect to pot this many, even if the last one (or two) are aided from their being an empty net.

Really believe that the only way this doesn't get there in an Islanders win is a 1-1 OT game, and they are already a perfect 3-for-3 in reaching this mark in losses as well. I'll take New York hitting this number in a loss at even a 50% rate and still love the play given that it will hit in a majority of their 60 minute wins.

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