By Cole Gallagher / August 23, 2026
NHL Regular Season · Oct 3, 2026 · UBS Arena, Elmont · Check local listings
🏒 New York Islanders vs New Jersey Devils 🏒
NHL books sharpen their lines closer to puck drop. Check back nearer October 3 for a live number.
The Islanders open their home schedule at UBS Arena against the New Jersey Devils, a Metropolitan Division game with a very clear centrepiece. Matthew Schaefer, who won the Calder Trophy last season as the NHL’s rookie of the year, takes the ice for his first home opener as an established piece rather than a prospect. Here is the full top betting sites breakdown for the game, part of our ongoing NHL opening week coverage.
Odds Comparison
| Sportsbook | Devils | Islanders | Puck Line |
| Sports Interaction | Check Odds → | Check Odds → | Check Odds → |
| Betovo | Check Odds → | Check Odds → | Check Odds → |
| Bet365 | Check Odds → | Check Odds → | Check Odds → |
| Tonybet | Check Odds → | Check Odds → | Check Odds → |
| Betway | Check Odds → | Check Odds → | Check Odds → |
Total Goals (Over/Under 6.5)
Anytime Goalscorer
Team Analysis
New York Islanders
Matthew Schaefer winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year last season changed the outlook for this franchise, and the home opener at UBS Arena is where that new era gets its formal introduction to the crowd. The Islanders have long been defined by defensive commitment and a willingness to play a slow, heavy game, and adding a genuine difference-maker to that base is what makes them interesting rather than merely hard to play against. Expect Schaefer to be on the ice for a large share of the important minutes.
Key Storyline: Matthew Schaefer, last season’s Calder Trophy winner, headlines the Islanders home opener
New Jersey Devils
New Jersey travel a short distance for a divisional road game that will feel like a rivalry night regardless of where either team sits in the standings. The Devils have built their identity on speed through the middle of the ice and a willingness to attack off the rush, which is a genuine stylistic contrast with an Islanders side that wants the game slow and tight. Winning the neutral zone is the whole assignment for New Jersey here.
Key Storyline: New Jersey’s rush-based attack meets an Islanders team built to slow games down
Key Betting Angles
The stylistic clash is the most useful angle here. Islanders home games have tended toward the low-event end of the spectrum, and a divisional opponent that knows them well usually reinforces that. On the other side, New Jersey’s speed is the sort of thing that can turn a tight game into a 5-3 result in a hurry if the Islanders defence gets caught flat-footed early in a season. Given the uncertainty, the under and the home moneyline are the cleaner positions, with a Schaefer point market as an interesting secondary look.
We are tracking the full NHL opening week slate, plus everything else on the board, over on worldcupbetting.ca.
Our Prediction
Cole’s Pick: New York Islanders moneyline
Home opener, a defensive structure that gives this team a floor in almost every game and a Calder-winning talent playing the biggest minutes on the blue line make the Islanders the marginally better side on the night. New Jersey’s speed keeps this within a goal, and a low total feels right for a divisional game between teams that know each other well. Do not rule out overtime.
Confidence: medium, divisional games between familiar opponents are close to coin flips
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Cole Gallagher covers soccer betting for WorldCupBetting.ca, specialising in match predictions, odds analysis and tournament futures. Based in Toronto, he has followed the Canadian men’s national team since their 2022 qualifying campaign and brings a line-shopping, data-first approach to every pick.