Hurricanes vs. Islanders Prediction, NHL Odds & Best Bets (11/5)

Fact checked at 6:39 AM ET, Nov 5, 2026

Odds as of 6:13 AM ET, Nov 5, 2026

The defending Stanley Cup champions visit UBS Arena at 7:00 PM ET at 12-3-2, first in the Metropolitan Division. Carolina comes off a 4-1 loss at Nashville that ended Pyotr Kochetkov's run of 10 straight wins to open the season. The Islanders (7-5-2) haven't played since a 4-0 home loss to Edmonton four days ago, a game in which they managed a season-low 18 shots. Both teams defend well. Carolina allows 2.29 goals a game, second-fewest in the league, and New York allows 2.71, fifth-fewest. The difference is at the other end, where Carolina scores 3.76 a game (third in the NHL) and the Islanders' 2.79 ranks 26th. The game we're betting on is a tight, low-scoring Carolina win with the Islanders' attack kept quiet, and all three picks come out of it.

Kochetkov and Ilya Sorokin are the projected starters. Neither club has named one, and Carolina's own preview floated a start for Brandon Bussi. Taylor Hall has missed nine straight games and could return; the club has left that call to him. Mathew Barzal hasn't played this season, and Matias Maccelli and Ryan Pulock are also out. All three practiced in non-contact jerseys, and none is expected to play.

Hurricanes vs. Islanders Predictions

• Pick #1: Hurricanes Moneyline (-175)
• Pick #2: Under 5.5 (+105)
• Pick #3: Kyle Palmieri Under 0.5 Points (-140)

PICK #1: Hurricanes Moneyline (-175)

Carolina takes 32.9 shots a game and allows 22.3. Both numbers lead the league, and so does its goal differential. Islanders coach Pete DeBoer knows what his team is in for: "you're going to get heavy pressure, and you have to execute under pressure." New York has to answer that with the 26th-ranked offense and a power play converting 15.9%, and without Barzal, Maccelli and Pulock.

The worry is in net. Kochetkov is 10-1-0 with a .922 save percentage, while Bussi is 2-2-2 with an .865 in six starts, and Sorokin, rested after four days off, is capable of stealing a low-scoring game by himself.

We'll pay the price anyway. At -175 Carolina has to win 63.6% of the time, and it has won 12 of 17 overall and 7 of 10 on the road. This is a steep number, not a bargain, but the gap between these teams justifies it.

PICK #2: Under 5.5 (+105)

At plus money the Under only has to cash 48.8% of the time. Seventeen of the 31 games these teams have played stayed under 5.5: 9 of 17 for Carolina and 8 of 14 for New York.

The matchup that makes Carolina the side also keeps this total down. The Islanders have scored one goal or none in three of their 14 games, and nobody allows fewer shots than Carolina. If Kochetkov and Sorokin start as projected, both nets have a goalie who can carry a 2-1 or 3-2 game. The Under has also drawn 35% of the money on only 21% of the bets.

The risk comes from Carolina's offense. The Hurricanes have scored seven goals twice, and a late pull-away can clear 5.5 nearly on its own. A Bussi start would make six goals easier to reach, too.

PICK #3: Kyle Palmieri Under 0.5 Points (-140)

Palmieri has a point in just 3 of 14 games this season and none in his last three. The Under at -140 needs 58.3%, and he has come up empty 78.6% of the time.

Last season tells a different story, with a point in 15 of his 25 games. His usage has changed since then. He's playing 16:47 a night, down from 18:53, and he has no power-play points this season after five last year. He still lines up on the top line with Bo Horvat and Simon Holmström and is listed on the first power-play unit, so he'll get minutes. They come against a Carolina team that allows the fewest shots in the league and kills 83.9% of its penalties.

Those top-line minutes are what could beat us. A deflection or a secondary assist is all it takes, and if the Islanders get to three goals, he's probably in on one of them.

21+ (18+ where permitted). Odds subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER.