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The two division leads in the Eastern Conference face off as the New Jersey Devils face the Florida Panthers. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Devils-Panthers prediction and pick.
The Devils enter the game at 11-6-2, good for 24 points and first place in the Metropolitan division. Meanwhile, the Panthers are 11-4-1, good for 23 points and first place in the Atlantic division. These two teams faced off on Tuesday with the Panthers coming in riding a seven-game winning streak. Jack Hughes opened the score in the first period, but Sam Reinhart would tie the game in the second. Still, Timo Meier would give the Devils the lead again in the second period. In the third, Paul Cotter made it a 3-1 game and the Devils would add an empty net goal to win the game 4-1.
Here are the Devils-Panthers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Panthers Odds
New Jersey Devils: +1.5 (-215)
Moneyline: +116
Florida Panthers: -1.5 (+172)
Moneyline: -140
Over: 6.5 (+112)
Under: 6.5 (-140)
How To Watch Devils vs Panthers
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
TV: ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Free Trial)
Why the Devils Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Devils are led by a top-line of Timo Meier, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer. Hischier scored 27 goals and had 40 assists last year with 67 total points. Hischier has ten goals and seven assists this year. Timo Meier led the team in goals last year. In his 69 games, he scored 28 times with 24 assists. That was good for 52 total points. Meier has seven goals and seven assists this year. Mercer has struggled some this year, coming in with four goals and six assists this year.
Jack Hughes leads the second line. Jack Hughes was also solid in his 62 games last year. He has 27 goals, 47 assists, and 74 total points. Hughes has eight goals and 11 assists on the year. Jesper Bratt joins him on the second line. Bratt led the team in points last year, with 27 goals, 56 assists, and 83 total points. He has five goals and 16 assists. Finally, on the third line, Stefan Noesen has been great. He has seven goals and seven assists on the year. That places him tied for fourth on the team in points this year.
Jacob Markstom is expected to be in goal for the Devils in this one. He is 8-4-1 with a 2.54 goals-against-average and a .908 save percentage. Markstrom has won five of his last six starts. Last time out, he stopped 34 of 35 shots in a win over the Panthers. It was the third time in four games he has been above .930 in save percentage.
Why the Panthers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Panthers bring back their top guys from last year's Cup team. Sam Reinhart comes back to lead the first line. Last year he led the team with 57 goals while adding 37 assists, good for 94 total points. Reinhart has been great this year, with 12 goals and 12 assists on the season. He has two goals on the power play and three shorthanded. He is joined on the top line by Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodriguez. Barkov has played just eight games this year, coming away with two goals and 11 assists. Meanwhile, Rodrigues has four goals and five assists this year.
The second line features Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, and Matthew Tkachuk. Bennett has continued to play well this year. He has nine goals and six assists this year. Meanwhile, Tkachuk has four goals and six assists on the year, while Verhaeghe has four goals and eight assists on the year. The Panthers also get production from the blue line. Gustav Forsling has three goals and five assists on the year, while Aaron Ekbald had six assists on the year.
Sergei Bobrovsky is expected in goal for the Panthers. He is 8-2-1 on the year with a 2.95 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage. He has won five straight starts and has been solid in the process. Last time out he stopped 34 of 37 shots in a win. In his last five starts, he has stopped 132 of 144 shots, good for a .917 save percentage.
Final Devils-Panthers Prediction & Pick
The Florida Panthers come in as the favorite in terms of odds in this early-season NHL game. The Devils have been solid this year, scoring 3.47 goals per game while sitting fifth on the power play this year. Further, they have been solid on defense as well, sitting eight on the penalty kill and seventh in goals allowed per game this year. The Panthers are scoring better this year, scoring 3.63 goals per game this year, while sitting seventh on the power play. They are tied for 16th in goals against per game while sitting fifth on the penalty kill. The Panthers got plenty of shots on goal to take the win on Tuesday, and they will get it in this one.
Final Devils-Panthers Prediction & Pick: Panthers ML (-140)
