Blue Jackets vs. Islanders

Our pick for Over 5.5 is reinforced by the Islanders' defensive collapse in yesterday's 7-3 loss to Montreal, where starter Ilya Sorokin was pulled after allowing six goals; notably, Sorokin is projected to make his first back-to-back start of the season today due to injuries to Varlamov. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets enter on a 12-game point streak (8-0-4) and are averaging 3.8 goals over their last five games, including a 5-2 win yesterday. With both teams playing their second game in 24 hours and the Islanders missing key defenders like Alexander Romanov, the offensive conditions are ideal for a high-scoring divisional clash.