New York Islanders at Carolina Hurricanes Game 1 odds, picks and predictions

The New York Islanders (42-31-9) visit the Carolina Hurricanes (47-21-14) on Monday for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals. Puck drop from PNC Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook's lines around the Islanders vs. Hurricanes odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

The Islanders qualified for the top Wild-Card spot, edging the Florida Panthers by a single point.

New York posted a dominant 6-2 win in Carolina in the 1st meeting on Oct. 28. However, Carolina won the previous 3 meetings, including each of the 2 meetings on Long Island. More importantly, the Canes won 2-1 on April 2 in Raleigh as the Under (5.5) easily connected.

Carolina picked up a pair of wins to close out the season, hanging on for the Metropolitan Division title over the New Jersey Devils by 1 point.

The Hurricanes have managed to win 37 of the last 51 games at PNC Arena, which is a .725 winning percentage. They're also 17-7 in the last 24 games when working on 3 or more days of rest. And to be honest, the Canes looked a little tired down the stretch, so the rest likely did them well.