Rangers vs. Islanders prediction: Close contest projected after new data released for Saturday's NHL matchup [12/27/2025]

NHL action continues on Saturday at 6:00 PM ET as the NY Rangers take on the NY Islanders at UBS Arena.

Based on updated simulations, Dimers' advanced NHL model gives an equal chance for both both teams to win the Rangers-Islanders matchup.

This article offers a closer look at Saturday's Rangers vs. Islanders matchup, including projected goal scorers, best bets and player prop picks.

Rangers vs. Isles prediction: Who will win?

Using innovative machine learning and statistical analysis, we have simulated the result of Saturday's NHL game between the Rangers and Islanders 10,000 times as part of our NHL predictions coverage.

Our independent predictive model currently can't split the two teams, giving both the Rangers and Islanders a 50% chance of winning the game.

According to our model, the 5.5-goal over/under has a 51% chance of staying under.

Rangers vs. Islanders odds

We have researched the best NHL odds in America for this game, which are listed here:

Bet Type	Rangers	Islanders
Moneyline	-114	-102
Total	o5.5 (+100)	u5.5 (-118)

All odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Rangers vs. Islanders picks and best bet

After matching our predictions against the best available odds, we can reveal our picks for each of the major markets. Plus, find our best bet for the game below:

Bet Type	Pick	Bet Now
Moneyline	Islanders	-102
Total	Over 5.5	+100

According to our NHL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Over 5.5 total goals.

Rangers vs. Islanders player props

Who will score a goal in Rangers vs. Islanders?

According to our model, Artemi Panarin is most likely to score an anytime goal in Rangers vs. Islanders.

Our projections give Panarin a 38.8% chance of scoring a goal at UBS Arena, while the star is an 8.6% chance of netting the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

NY Rangers

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Artemi Panarin	38.8%
Vincent Trocheck	29.9%
Mika Zibanejad	26.9%
Alexis Lafreniere	25.3%
Will Cuylle	23.6%

NY Islanders

Player	Anytime Goal Probability
Bo Horvat	33.5%
Mathew Barzal	28.1%
Anders Lee	26.0%
Simon Holmstrom	20.4%
Emil Heineman	19.8%

First goal scorer predictions

NY Rangers

Player	First Goal Probability
Artemi Panarin	8.6%
Vincent Trocheck	6.0%
Mika Zibanejad	5.5%
Will Cuylle	5.1%
Alexis Lafreniere	5.0%

NY Islanders

Player	First Goal Probability
Bo Horvat	6.6%
Mathew Barzal	5.8%
Anders Lee	5.4%
Emil Heineman	4.0%
Simon Holmstrom	3.9%

Rangers vs. Isles game-day updates and essential details

Saturday's action between the Islanders and Rangers at UBS Arena is scheduled to start at 6:00 PM ET.

• Who: NY Rangers vs. NY Islanders
• Date: Saturday, December 27, 2025
• Time: 6:00 PM ET/3:00PM PT
• Venue: UBS Arena

Conclusion

We predict a close game between the Rangers and Islanders on Saturday, with each team having a 50% chance of winning.

AI and automation have enhanced this article to quickly deliver accurate Rangers vs. Islanders insights, with human oversight ensuring high editorial quality. Our predictions are drawn from up-to-date data to help you make informed decisions. For additional resources and advice on responsible gambling, please call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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