New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets Odds, Picks & Predictions — Saturday, February 28, 2026

A late-night matchup where the scoreboard might be lying

If you’re hunting for a clean “who’s better?” answer in New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets, you’re going to get frustrated fast. This one is interesting because both teams are bringing real form — but in totally different ways — and the betting market is quietly telling you the goals might be the story, not the side.

Columbus comes in 8-2 over the last 10, with a 4-1 run in their last five that included two shutouts (and then a reality-check loss in Boston). The Islanders’ last five reads 3-2, but those three wins weren’t exactly comfortable: they needed offense to bail them out, then immediately followed it with two losses where the attack looked thin again. That’s the tension here: the Isles’ results say “hot,” while the underlying lineup and style say “fragile.”

And because it’s Saturday night at 11:00 PM ET, you’re also getting a market that’s more prone to public narratives (recent wins, plus-money dogs) than to the boring stuff that actually cashes long-term: shot suppression, special teams efficiency, and whether a team can generate second-chance looks when the top line is compromised.

Matchup breakdown: Columbus’ defensive form vs an Islanders attack missing pieces

Start with the baseline power ratings: ELO has this basically even — Islanders 1532, Blue Jackets 1522. That’s a “coin-flip” profile on paper, and it’s why you’re seeing a fairly tight moneyline band across the sharper shops and the big books.

Where it gets less even is how each team is getting to its results right now.

• Columbus’ recent identity: defense-first structure that’s actually showing up on the scoreboard. In the last four wins they posted two shutouts (4-0 vs Chicago at home, 3-0 at New Jersey) and, more importantly, they’ve looked comfortable playing without turning every game into chaos. Even with season-long averages sitting around 3.1 scored and 3.1 allowed, their current stretch is trending tighter than that.
• Islanders’ current problem: the lineup isn’t built to trade chances if the top-end finishing isn’t intact. With Kyle Palmieri out (ACL) and Pierre Engvall also out, you’re asking depth to do more than it’s designed to do. That can work for a night or two, but it usually shows up in shot quality and power-play conversion over a longer sample.

Style-wise, this shapes into a game where Columbus can be patient. They don’t need to sprint. If they get a lead, they’ve shown lately they can sit on it and force you into low-percentage offense. That’s exactly the kind of setup that can make the Isles feel like they’re “in it” for 50 minutes… and still not generate enough Grade-A looks to justify the price you paid.

One more thing: both teams’ season averages point toward a total that looks “normal” for today’s NHL, but the current Columbus defensive form plus the Islanders’ missing scoring pushes this toward a grind. That’s why the total market is the real headline.

New York Islanders vs Columbus Blue Jackets odds: what the books are saying

Let’s talk numbers, because this is where you can separate signal from noise.

On the moneyline, Columbus is priced like a modest home favorite almost everywhere: DraftKings has Blue Jackets {odds:1.77} vs Islanders {odds:2.10}; FanDuel shows {odds:1.75} vs {odds:2.12}; Pinnacle sits {odds:1.73} vs {odds:2.21}. That’s a pretty consistent range, and when Pinnacle is willing to go as high as {odds:2.21} on the Isles, it’s telling you the dog is at least “live” from a pure price perspective.

But don’t stop there. Look at the puck line: the Islanders +1.5 is priced around {odds:1.42}-{odds:1.46} depending on shop, while Columbus -1.5 is a big plus-style payout in decimal terms (DraftKings {odds:2.95}, Pinnacle {odds:2.84}). That’s basically the market saying: “Columbus can win, but margin is less reliable.” That fits the game script of a tighter, lower-event matchup.

Now, the most actionable piece: total consensus is clustering around 6.0, with some 6.5s available. And the exchange-side read is leaning Under with a measurable edge, even while retail books aren’t exactly racing to hand you a bargain.

ThunderBet’s exchange aggregation (ThunderCloud) has win probabilities at Home 54.7% / Away 45.3% with low confidence on the moneyline winner — but it’s also tagging a 4.5% edge on the Under. That’s important: when the side is noisy, totals often offer the cleaner math.

Line movement is worth respecting here too. The Odds Drop Detector has been tracking meaningful drift in some derivative markets (and even some odd exchange-style pricing shifts), plus an Under price drift from {odds:1.80} to {odds:1.95} at Caesars. When Under prices drift higher, it can mean the market is giving you a better number later — but it can also mean books are comfortable taking Under money because they’ve shaded the total itself correctly. This is where you want to compare book totals to exchange consensus, not just chase the last move you saw on Twitter.

And yes, there are traps flagged. The Trap Detector has a medium alert on the Islanders based on sharp vs soft book divergence (score 58/100, “Fade” action). That’s basically a warning that the plus-money dog narrative may be getting more love at softer books than it deserves. There’s also a medium trap alert on Under 6.0 (score 50/100, also “Fade”), which sounds contradictory until you remember: traps aren’t “this bet loses,” they’re “the pricing behavior looks like the book wants you here.” You can still find value — you just need the right number.

Where value could be hiding: totals math, plus-money temptation, and convergence signals

This is the part where ThunderBet’s internal signals actually help you avoid betting the game you think you’re watching.

Our AI-driven analysis is sitting at 78/100 confidence with a Strong value rating leaning Under, and our model’s predicted total is 5.1 with the market sitting around 6.0. That’s a big gap in hockey terms — not because 6.0 is “wrong,” but because it tells you the model expects fewer clean looks and more dead possessions than the average book is baking in.

Now add the “who agrees with who” layer. ThunderBet’s Pinnacle++ convergence read is only 29/100 signal strength (so not a pound-the-table spot), but it does show AI + Pinnacle alignment on the moneyline with AI confidence at 78%. Translation: sharp pricing and model logic aren’t fighting each other on the side — they’re just not screaming value either. That’s usually a nudge to focus on the market that is misaligned (often totals or player props).

If you want to sanity-check whether the Under is actually priced with an edge at your book, don’t eyeball it — run it through the AI Betting Assistant and ask for “fair odds on Under 6.0 vs Under 6.5 across books.” The key is that 6.0 and 6.5 are different bets in NHL, and the juice matters. An Under 6.5 at {odds:1.80} is not the same risk profile as Under 6.0 at {odds:1.95}, even if your brain wants to treat them as “Under.”

Also: keep an eye on props. Our EV Finder is currently flagging a +15.0% EV edge on an anytime goal scorer price at multiple books (Bally Bet, TABtouch, and BetRivers). The player name is book-listed in a way that varies by feed, so you’ll want to open the event in the dashboard and confirm the exact market/participant before doing anything with it — but the point stands: when totals lean Under, books sometimes misprice goal-scorer ladders and “anytime” markets because they’re anchored to season-long scoring rates instead of the specific matchup context.

If you’re not subscribed, this is exactly the kind of slate where Subscribe to ThunderBet pays for itself: the difference between “I like the Under” and “I got the best Under number plus a mispriced prop” is your ROI over the long run.

Key factors to watch before you bet (and again right before puck drop)

You don’t need a full injury report novel to bet this game — you need to watch a few high-leverage variables that swing totals and one-goal outcomes.

• Islanders’ finishing depth: With Palmieri and Engvall out, track line combos and who’s getting the prime offensive-zone starts. If the Isles are forced into a more conservative approach, that supports the lower-total thesis but can also make their moneyline path narrower.
• Columbus’ “real” defensive level: Two shutouts in four games is legit, but it can also be opponent- and goaltending-influenced. Watch early: are they exiting cleanly and suppressing slot looks, or are they just surviving on blocked shots? The first 10 minutes can tell you whether the recent trend is sustainable.
• Total number and juice: The market is split between 6.0 and 6.5 in places, with different prices. If you’re taking an Under angle, your entire bet can hinge on whether you got the hook. If you’re playing Over (contrarian), you want the opposite: make sure you’re not paying a premium for 6.0 when 6.5 exists elsewhere.
• Public bias toward plus-money dogs: Islanders at {odds:2.21} (Pinnacle) looks tasty after a rally win like the one in Montreal. That’s exactly how people talk themselves into a number without checking whether the shot profile matched the final score.
• Late-night liquidity and last-move tells: This is a late start, and books can move late when lineup confirmations hit. If you see a sudden, coordinated change across multiple shops, that’s when you pull up the Odds Drop Detector to see whether it’s a real market-wide move or just one book blinking.

The best way to play this one is to treat it like a pricing puzzle. The side is tight (ELO basically even, exchange consensus only low confidence), but the total and certain derivatives are where the market disagreement shows up. That’s where you can be selective and still find angles.

If you want the full picture — best price by book, exchange consensus, convergence reads, and live EV flags — unlock it with Subscribe to ThunderBet and stop guessing which number is actually the good one.

As always, bet within your means and treat each wager as a small, controlled decision—not a nightly mission.