Islanders vs Rangers Prediction 1/29/2026 Today’s NHL Picks

In this article we will formulate an Islanders vs Rangers prediction for this NHL game on Thursday, January 29th at Madison Square Garden in New York. Let’s take a look at the prediction for this NHL matchup.

New York Islanders Betting Preview

The New York Islanders are 29-19-5 this season after they defeated the Rangers by a score of 5-2 in their last game. New York led 2-1 after the first period and they scored three times in the second to pull away with the win. The Islanders recorded 36 shots on goal, won 57.4% of the face-offs, and went 2-5 on the power play in the game. New York got goals from Barzal, Heineman, Holmstrom, Pageau, and Palat, while Rittich stopped 14 out of 16 shots, which was an .875 save percentage. 

Prior to that game, New York defeated the Flyers by a score of 4-0, but lost to the Sabres by a score of 5-0 before that. The Islanders have won two games in a row and they are currently third in the Metro standings with 63 points. New York has scored 2.81 goals per game and they have allowed 2.71 goals against per game, while also going 15.9% on the power play and 82.8% on the penalty kill this season. Mathew Barzal has led New York with 12 goals and 31 assists, while Matthew Schaefer has added 13 goals and 21 assists. The projected starting goalie for New York is Ilya Sorokin, who is 17-12-2 with a 2.43 goals against average and a .916 save percentage this season. 

New York Rangers Betting Preview

The New York Rangers are 22-26-6 this year after they lost to the Islanders by a score of 5-2 in their last game. New York cut the deficit to 4-2 in the second period, but couldn’t find anymore offense in the loss. The Rangers recorded 16 shots on goal, won 42.6% of the face-offs, and went 1-2 on the power play in the game. New York got goals from Raddysh and Zibanejad, while Martin stopped 31 out of 36 shots, which was an .861 save percentage. 

Prior to that game, New York defeated the Bruins by a score of 4-3, but lost to the Sharks by a score of 3-1 before that. The Rangers have lost four of their last five games and they are currently last in the Metro standings with 50 points. New York has scored 2.66 goals per game and they have allowed 3.11 goals against per game, while also going 22.1% on the power play and 79.7% on the penalty kill this season. Artemi Panarin has led New York with 19 goals and 38 assists, while Mika Zibanejad has added 21 goals and 28 assists. The projected starting goalie for New York is Jonathan Quick, who is 4-11-2 with a 3.17 goals against average and an .884 save percentage this year. 

Matchup/League Facts

• The New York Rangers rank 32nd in the league for Period 2 goals scored per game this season (0.80).
• The New York Rangers rank T31st in the league in short handed goals allowed this season (8).
• The New York Islanders rank T1st in the league in short handed goals this season (7).
• The New York Islanders have recorded the equal-most wins when trailing after Period 1 this season (7).

Islanders vs Rangers Prediction 

The Islanders beat up the Rangers on Wednesday night by a score of 5-2 and they will look to do it once again here. The Islanders are 14-10-3 on the road this year, while the Rangers are 6-13-4 at home. The Rangers have been terrible over the last few weeks and they are scoring just 2.66 goals per game this season. I think the Islanders are the much better team and they have a huge advantage with their goaltending, so I like them to get another win here.

David Racey's Pick: Islanders ML