Islanders Expected to Take Down Lowly Ducks on Wednesday

What: Anaheim Ducks vs New York Islanders
When: Wednesday, December 13th, 7:30 PM EST
Where: UBS Arena

The struggling Anaheim Ducks will hit the road on Wednesday evening to face the New York Islanders in a cross-conference matchup. This game is scheduled for 7:30 PM EST at UBS Arena. Anaheim has lost three in a row and desperately needs a win here, most recently falling to the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 4-2 on Sunday evening. The Isles meanwhile are thriving at the moment, taking down the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 4-3 overtime thriller on Monday. They definitely have some momentum here. Below, find the Ducks vs Islanders picks.

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Ducks vs Islanders Odds

Team
Anaheim Ducks	+197	+190	+195
NY Islanders	-222	-230	-225

The Islanders are the clear favorite here with steep moneyline odds of -222 for an implied win probability of 68.94%. The Ducks come back at +197 and have a 33.67% chance of coming out victorious. The total in goals is set at six. New York is riding a four-game winning streak against Anaheim, outscoring them 13-4 across the last two outings.

Another Brutal Year For Anaheim

It's been awhile since the Ducks were any good and it appears that's not going to change anytime soon. Anaheim is really poor again, sitting at 10-17-0. That puts them in seventh place in the Pacific Division. Aside from their current skid, the Ducks are also 1-9-0 in their previous 10 contests. Absolutely nothing is going right for this franchise.

It's bad enough they rank 28th in goals scored (2.59) but Anaheim is also allowing 3.41 goals per night, one of the highest marks in the league. Arguably their best player, phenom Trevor Zegras, has been hurt for a lot of the campaign and just recently returned to practice. He's only suited up 12 times and had a mere two points. The Ducks will need a much better Zegras when he is healthy again. Frank Vatrano is the most productive player right now with 14 goals and nine assists. Mason McTavish has over 20 points too but he's been injured since early December.

The Ducks managed to stick with the Jets over the weekend. Alex Killorn scored the opener in the second period to take a 1-0 lead but Winnipeg erupted in the third with four goals. A very tough period for netminder John Gibson. Although Anaheim isn't allowing a ton of goals lately, they lack consistency in front of goal, especially without Zegras and McTavish. But even with those two back, it's still going to be a long season for this squad. It won't get any easier on Wednesday against a red-hot Isles team.

Islanders Finding Their Best

New York has been up and down in 2023-24, but they're starting to figure things out. A 7-1-2 mark in the last 10 games is a great sign and it has the Isles up to second in the Metropolitan Division, six points behind their state rivals, the New York Rangers. The goals are flowing for the Islanders over the last week, scoring at least four goals in six of the last seven games. But, they're still averaging only 3.03 goals per contest, which ranks 20th in the NHL.

Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson are the two double-digit scorers with 10 and 12 goals, respectively. Matthew Barzal is the leading man with 29 points, however, scoring nine and assisting 20. Defenceman Noah Dobson has also tallied 22 points. Dobson actually showed out against Toronto, supplying three assists in the victory. This game against their Eastern Conference foes was quite the battle, but Horvat got the last laugh with an OT goal to extend the win streak.

Although it's too early to deem the Isles a contender, they're sure looking good. A 13-7-7 record isn't one of the best in the NHL but New York could be getting hot at the right time. Wednesday's matchup is one they must win considering the opponent. But, it may be difficult to get past a four-game win streak with the Boston Bruins up next on Friday evening at UBS Arena where the Isles won a 7-3-5 record.

Ducks vs Islanders Picks

We have two teams on opposite sides of the spectrum and the Isles have dominated Anaheim. Is this an obvious pick? Absolutely. Take the New York moneyline with confidence.

Islanders moneyline Vs Ducks

-222

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