Dallas Stars vs New York Islanders Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 03/26/26

The New York Islanders are set for a pivotal matchup against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. Pretty much every game down the stretch will be a pivotal one for the Isles, as they are directly in the middle of a tightly-contested playoff race in the Eastern Conference. New York and Ottawa are tied with 85 points apiece, with Detroit just a single point behind with 84. The Islanders are in desperate need of a win, as they have dropped 3 of their last 4 games at the most crucial time of the season. The good news is that Patrick Roy’s team has the home ice advantage in this one, and the Islanders are a strong 19-12-2 at UBS Arena this season.

Furthermore, the Dallas Stars also enter this matchup stumbling a bit. Dallas has lost 3 games in a row and 4 of its last 5. The Stars were initially fine without superstar Mikko Rantanen in the lineup following the Olympics, but his absence may now be catching up to them. Dallas has scored 2 goals or fewer in 3 of its last 4 games, and it’s worth mentioning that Roope Hintz continues to be sidelined as well. Both Rantanen and Hintz provide strong 200-foot play for Dallas, and they both possess great size. With Dallas in a dry spell and without a pair of key contributors, I am backing the Islanders to find the win column on home ice.

Stars vs Islanders prediction: Islanders ML (+105) available at time of publishing. Playable at that number.