Tuesday NHL: Peterson picks New York Rangers vs New York Islanders, Toronto Maple Leafs vs Vancouver Canucks

New York Rangers (+119) @ New York Islanders (-130), 7 pm EDT

Both the New York Rangers (23-16-6) and the New York Islanders (27-13-4) are Eastern division powerhouses with playoff aspirations. The Islanders are guaranteed a playoff spot sitting at third in the East, whereas the Rangers are sitting just outside of the playoff picture in fifth. 4-1 in their last five games, the Rangers are playing with plenty of motivation as the next few weeks will dictate their fate this season. On the flip side, the Islanders have seemingly taken their foot off the gas pedal, going 2-3 in their last five games. There is great value in taking a chance on the Rangers here at plus money, but go lightly because the Islanders are a tough nut to crack defensively. The total has gone under in six of the Rangers past ten games and nine of the Islanders past ten, including the two most recent meetings between these teams.

PICK: New York Rangers (+119), Under 5.5 (-118)

Toronto Maple Leafs (-290) @ Vancouver Canucks (+240), 9 pm EDT

Following a mandatory COVID-19 pause in the Vancouver Canucks (17-18-3) system, the Canucks pulled off an incredible 3-2 victory over the heavily favored Toronto Maple Leafs (28-12-5) Sunday night on home ice. The time off should have hindered Vancouver but it did the opposite and they came out victorious. The likelihood of this happening two games in a row over a team as talented as Toronto is highly unlikely, even though Sunday night marked three straight losses against Vancouver for the Maple Leafs. Toronto has lost their last four games and will be highly motivated to get back on track. Expect Toronto to make a statement in this one as the frustration of being stuck in a rut boils over, but don't expect it to come easy against a revitalized Vancouver club that has won eight of their past eleven games.

PICK: Toronto Maple Leafs -1.5 (-110)