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The New Jersey Devils will continue their road trip on Saturday when they face the Tampa Bay Lightning. It will be a battle at Amalie Arena as we share our NHL odds series and make a Devils-Lightning prediction and pick.
The Devils defeated the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Thursday to complete a home-and-home sweep. Meanwhile, the Lightning dropped the Winnipeg Jets 4-1 as Andrei Vasilevskiy won the 300th game of his career.
The Lightning defeated the Devils 8-5 in their last showdown on October 23, 2024. Overall, the Bolts are 8-2 over the past 10 games against the Devils, including 3-2 over the past five games at Amalie Arena.
Here are the Devils-Lightning NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Lightning Odds
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (+205)
Moneyline: -115
Tampa Bay Lightning: +1.5 (-260)
Moneyline: -104
Over: 6.5 (+108)
Under: 6.5 (-130)
How To Watch Devils vs Lightning
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN+, MSG, and FDSS
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Devils Could Cover the Spread/Win
While they have done well to start the season, the Devils might make some trades to help themselves have the best chance possible to win the Stanley Cup this season. Overall, they have had some good results.
The Devils are second in goals and third in assists. Additionally, they are seventh in shooting percentage. New Jersey has also capitalized on the powerplay, where they rank fourth. Overall, their skilled players have come alive and given them the best chance to compete.
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Jesper Bratt has been hot, tallying eight goals and 16 assists through 20 games, including three markers on the powerplay. Meanwhile, Jack Hughes has been excellent, converting eight goals and 14 assists over 20 contests, including two powerplay markers. Nico Hischier has been good, having 10 goals and 10 assists through 20 games, including four powerplay conversions.
The defense has been stout. So far, they are 16th in goals against. The Devils have also thrived on the penalty kill, ranking fourth in killing opposing teams' powerplays. Goalie Jacob Markstrom has been an excellent addition to the Devils, going 8-4-1 with a 2.54 goals-against average and a save percentage of .908. Therefore, expect him to get the start and attempt to stall a once-feared offense.
The Devils will cover the spread if their star players can get their skates going and find a way to score some goals early. Then, the defense must stall the Lightning and Markstrom can play well.
Why the Lightning Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Lightning are doing enough to hang around. However, if the playoffs began today, they would be on the outside looking in. Therefore, there are things they must do to improve.
The Lightning are just 14th in goals and 13th in assists. Their powerplay has been inconsistent, as they rank 17th. The Bolts need their best players to show up.
Nikita Kucherov remains one of the best players in the NHL. So far, he has tallied 11 goals and 13 assists through 15 games, including one powerplay marker. Brandon Hagel has been solid. Significantly, he has eight goals and eight assists over 15 contests. Jake Gunetzel has been an excellent addition to the Bolts. Ultimately, he has seven goals and eight assists over 15 games. Defenseman Victor Hedman continues to amaze. Overall, he has registered three goals and 11 assists over 15 games.
The defense has remained strong. So far, they are seventh in goals against. But the penalty kill has been mediocre, as they rank 21st against opposing teams' powerplays. Vasilevskiy continues to play well, even as his career progresses to the later stages. Amazingly, he is 7-5-1 with a 2.32 goals-against average and a save percentage of .913.
The Lightning will cover the spread if they can get on the board first and put the Devils on their heels. Then, they must avoid taking too many penalties to give the Devils too many chances.
Final Devils-Lightning Prediction & Pick
The Devils are 9-9 against the spread, while the Lightning are 6-9. Moreover, the Devils are 6-4 against the spread on the road, while the Bolts are 3-4 against the odds at home. The Devils are 9-8-1 regarding the over/under, while the Lightning are 7-7-1 against the over/under. Additionally, the Devils have had mixed results with the over/under on the road, going 4-5-1, while the Bolts have struggled to score at home, going 1-5-1 against the spread in that situation.
The Devils are the better team this season. However, the Lightning decisively took down the best team in the NHL. While the Lightning are no longer the dangerous team they once were, they still pack enough punch to give teams a hard time. I expect the Bolts to come out strong and do enough to cover the spread at home against the Devils.
Final Devils-Lightning Prediction & Pick:
