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The New Jersey Devils will head to the United Center to face the Chicago Blackhawks for a Sunday evening showdown. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Devils-Blackhawks prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Devils lost 4-1 to the St. Louis Blues on Friday. Initially, it was a scoreless first period for both teams. But the Devils fell behind 2-0 in the second. Then, they got a goal back, thanks to a snipe by Curtis Lazar. They allowed two goals in the third period to finish the loss. Significantly, they won 61 percent of their faceoffs. The Devils also went 0 for 1 on the powerplay but killed two penalties. Also, they leveled just nine hits and blocked 13 shots. Jack Hughes had one shot on goal. Unfortunately, Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier both suffered injuries and will not play in this game against the Hawks. Akira Schmid made 31 saves.
The Blackhawks defeated the Florida Panthers 5-2. They exploded out of the gate, with goals from Nick Foligno, Nikita Zaitsev, and Taylor Hall. Then, Connor Bedard tallied his fifth goal of the season to make it 4-0. The Panthers made a half-hearted comeback attempt with goals. Eventually, the Hawks held firm and finished it off with an empty-netter from Phillip Kurashev, who finished with one goal and two assists. Petr Mrazek made 38 saves for the Blackhawks. Overall, they won 44 percent of their faceoffs, making things difficult. The Hawks went 1 for 3 on the powerplay and 2 for 3 on the penalty kill. Additionally, they leveled 19 hits while blocking 29 shots.
The series is tied at 12. However, the Devils swept the season series in 2022-2023. The Devils have also won 7 of 10 games in this series. Regardless, the teams have split the last 10 games at the United Center. The teams have combined for over 6.5 goals in 7 of the last 10 games.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Blackhawks Odds
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (+115)
Chicago Blackhawks: +1.5 (-138)
Over: 6.5 (+102)
Under: 6.5 (-124)
How to Watch Devils vs. Blackhawks
Time: 7:10 PM ET/4:10 PM PT
TV: Sling TV
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Devils Will Cover The Spread
Article Continues Below
The Devils will be shorthanded today. Sadly, they will not have the services of Hughes and Hischier. It means someone else will have to step up for the Devils to continue their mastery of the Blackhawks.
Jesper Bratt will be a factor, as he currently has seven goals and seven assists, with four snipes on the powerplay. Amazingly, he has scored on 29.2 percent of his shots. Tyler Toffoli will have a bigger role in this game, as he has netted seven goals and four assists, including three powerplay markers. Also, he has scored on 20 percent of his shots. Timo Meier will also need to do more, as he has notched two goals and six assists, including one powerplay goal. Moreover, he has scored on just eight percent of his shots but has also leveled 16 hits. Defenseman Dougie Hamilton has netted four goals and three assists, including three conversions on the powerplay. Additionally, he has fired 36 shots at the net. Luke Hughes has tried to replicate his older brother, as he currently has one goal and six assists, with his one marker coming on the powerplay.
Vitek Vanecek will likely be the goalie in the net. Significantly, he comes in with a record of 5-2 with a 3.21 goals-against average and a save percentage of .893. He will need to perform better in this game.
The Devils will cover the spread if Bratt, Toffoli, and Meier can all contribute. Then, the defense must prevent Bedard and the Hawks from getting past the blue line.
Why The Blackhawks Will Cover The Spread
Speaking of Bedard, he has notched five goals and two assists. Therefore, he has had a great start to his career. Corey Perry is still around after all these years. Moreover, he has netted two goals and five assists. Defenseman Seth Jones has tallied five assists but is still looking for his first goal.
Arvid Soderblom will be the goalie today. Ultimately, he is 1-3 with a 4.19 goals-against average and a save percentage of .868. He must cover the angles to prevent the Devils from burning him.
The Blackhawks will cover the spread if Bedard can rise to the occasion. Then, the defense needs to prevent the Devils from capitalizing on mistakes.
Final Devils-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick
The Devils are missing two players. Yet, they still have the talent to cover. But I like the over-goals angle more because of the recent streaky history. Overall, this feels like a 4-3 game.
Final Devils-Blackhawks Prediction & Pick: Over: 6.5 (+102)
