Blackhawks vs. Islanders prediction favors Islanders to win Thursday's NHL matchup [10/8/2026]

Using innovative machine learning and data, we have re-simulated the result of Thursday's NHL game between the Blackhawks and Islanders, forming part of our NHL predictions coverage.

Our leading predictive model gives the Islanders a 62.3% chance of defeating the Blackhawks. According to our model, the Blackhawks (+1.5) have a 61.0% chance of covering the puck line, while the 5.5-goal over/under has a 52.6% chance of going over.

Latest betting odds

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

• Puck Line: Blackhawks +1.5 (-155) / Islanders -1.5 (+140)
• Moneyline: Blackhawks +165, Islanders -175
• Total: Over/Under 5.5 (-120/+105)

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

Model picks and best bet

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

• Puck line: Blackhawks +1.5 @ -155 via BetMGM
• Moneyline: Blackhawks @ +165 via BetRivers
• Total: Under 5.5 @ +105 via DraftKings

According to our NHL best bets, the top play to make on this game is Blackhawks +1.5 at the spread.

These picks are based on our probabilities matched against the implied probabilities from the current available odds.

Blackhawks vs. Islanders player props

Who will score a goal in Blackhawks vs. Islanders?

According to our model, Bo Horvat is most likely to score an anytime goal in Blackhawks vs. Islanders.

Our projections give Horvat a 36.6% chance of scoring a goal at UBS Arena, while the star is a 7.8% chance of netting the first goal the game.

Anytime goal scorer predictions

Chicago Blackhawks

• Roman Kantserov: 33.2% probability
• Tyler Bertuzzi: 28.9% probability
• Patrick Kane: 24.5% probability
• Frank Nazar: 18.8% probability
• Anton Frondell: 17.4% probability

NY Islanders

• Bo Horvat: 36.6% probability
• Simon Holmstrom: 26.1% probability
• Matthew Schaefer: 24.7% probability
• Kyle Palmieri: 22.9% probability
• Emil Heineman: 22.1% probability

First goal scorer predictions

Chicago Blackhawks

• Roman Kantserov: 7.2% probability
• Tyler Bertuzzi: 5.7% probability
• Patrick Kane: 5.1% probability
• Frank Nazar: 3.6% probability
• Nick Lardis: 3.5% probability

NY Islanders

• Bo Horvat: 7.8% probability
• Simon Holmstrom: 5.2% probability
• Matthew Schaefer: 4.7% probability
• Kyle Palmieri: 4.4% probability
• Victor Eklund: 4.1% probability

Game info & puck drop details

Thursday's matchup between the Islanders and Blackhawks at UBS Arena is scheduled to commence at 7:30 PM ET.

• Who: Chicago Blackhawks vs. NY Islanders
• Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
• Time: 7:30 PM ET/4:30PM PT
• Venue: UBS Arena

Conclusion

We predict the Islanders, with a 62.3% win probability, will likely beat the Blackhawks in Thursday's NHL matchup.

Additional tools and information for betting safely can be found in our Responsible Gambling hub.

This article's predictions and probabilities are generated by Dimers' proprietary NHL prediction model. Our editorial team reviews the resulting content for accuracy and presentation before publication.