Utah Mammoth vs New York Islanders Picks & Prediction for Thursday January 1 2026
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The Utah Mammoth (18-19-3, 9-12-2 away) travel to UBS Arena in Elmont, NY to face the New York Islanders (22-14-4, 12-7-2 home) at 3:00 PM on NHL Net. Make sure you are ready for all the NHL action with our free NHL picks.
Utah’s Scrappy But Unsteady Road Form
Utah is scoring 2.98 goals per game and allowing 2.90, with 28.7 shots for and 25.1 against — so the underlying profile isn’t hopeless, but it’s not consistently translating into results. Special teams are middling (power play 15.4%, penalty kill 82.3%). In their last five, Utah is 2-3: L 4-3 vs NSH, L 1-0 @ COL, W 4-3 OT vs WPG, L 2-1 vs NJ, and W 4-1 @ DET.
Utah’s goaltender comparison lists Karel Vejmelka (16-10-2, 2.70 GAA, .896 SV%) and Vitek Vanecek (2-9-1, 2.92 GAA, .879 SV%). But your injury report has Vejmelka on IR with an estimated return of Jan 1, which creates real uncertainty — if Utah has to lean heavier on Vanecek, that changes how I view both the moneyline and the total.
Utah also lists Logan Cooley (C) on IR (Feb 4), which is a meaningful absence when you’re trying to find consistent scoring punch.
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Islanders’ Home Edge With Defensive Lean
New York is scoring 2.75 goals per game while allowing just 2.65, and they’re basically even on shots (28.2 for, 28.3 against). Their power play is similar to Utah’s (15.9%), but the overall defensive number is stronger, and they’ve got 5 short-handed goals, which hints at opportunistic pressure when opponents get loose with the puck. Over their last five, the Islanders are 3-2: W 3-2 SO @ CHI, L 4-2 @ CBJ, W 2-0 vs NYR, W 2-1 vs NJ, and L 3-2 SO @ BUF.
The Isles’ goalies listed are I. Sorokin (12-10-2, 2.55 GAA, .910 SV%) and D. Rittich (10-4-2, 2.27 GAA, .918 SV%) — but your injury report shows Sorokin on IR (Jan 3). That pushes extra weight onto Rittich’s numbers, which are excellent on the sheet, and makes New York’s home defence even more central to how they win this game.
Injuries for New York also include Kyle Palmieri (C) on IR (Sep 15) — clearly not close — so that’s a longer-term missing piece.
Points To Consider
This game has a big “who actually starts” feel because both teams list key goalies as injured: Vejmelka IR (Jan 1) and Sorokin IR (Jan 3). If Utah can’t get Vejmelka, that’s a downgrade, and it also makes their underdog case harder to trust on the road.
The total sits at 5.5, and the team profiles point two different directions: Utah plays closer to 3.0 GF/G, but New York keeps opponents down with a 2.65 GAA and has several recent games that stayed tight (multiple one-goal decisions and shootouts). That’s why this one feels more like a grind unless goaltending wobble creates a quick early swing.
Utah Mammoth vs New York Islanders Prediction
I’m playing New York -115 (Moneyline) because the Islanders’ home record (12-7-2) plus their stronger defensive number (2.65 GAA) gives me the steadier baseline, especially with Utah’s road record sitting below .500 and the uncertainty around Vejmelka.
On the puck line, I’ll take Utah +1.5 (-265) as the safer coverage angle. The Islanders have been living in tight margins lately — shootouts and one-goal games show up repeatedly in their last five — so I’d rather grab the cushion than chase NYI -1.5 (+215).
For the total, I’m going Under 5.5 (+110) because New York’s defensive profile and recent results point toward a lower-scoring game script, and the Islanders don’t need a track meet to win at home. Make sure you know about how the fans are looking on prediction markets for the Mammoth with the Fliff promo code. The best sportsbooks are the best way to go when you are betting on the Islanders. Make sure when you place your Mammoth vs Islanders bet you are using the bet365 bonus code.
Final Score Prediction: Islanders 3, Mammoth 2
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