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The New Jersey Devils take their three-game losing streak into Pennsylvania to play the Pittsburgh Penguins. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Devils-Penguins prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Devils are in the middle of a three-game losing streak after losing their superstar, Jack Hughes. Hughes is questionable for tonight's game, but he will likely sit one more to be safe. The team isn't interested in bringing Hughes back early in November with plenty of season remaining to make up ground. The Devils are now 7-6-1, sitting a point behind the Penguins in the standings. The Devils have lost four out of their last five since Jack Hughes got injured on November 3rd. They have also been without captain Nico Hischier since October 27th.
Who said the Penguins were on the decline this season? They have won five games in a row and sit in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division with two games in hand. They are tied with the Florida Panthers for the longest current win streak in the NHL. Sidney Crosby is showing no signs of slowing down, leading the team with 19 points. Jake Guentzel, Erik Karlsson, and Evgeni Malkin are all averaging over a point per game. People worried about the Penguins' acquisition of Karlsson since it was another aging player added to this core. In the early parts of the season, the Penguins seem to have made a good move, including a run in the last five games where they are outscoring opponents 25-8.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Penguins Odds
New Jersey Devils: +1.5 (-196) ML (+118)
Pittsburgh Penguins: -1.5 (+162) ML (-142)
Over: 6.5 (-130)
Under: 6.5 (+106)
How to Watch Devils vs. Penguins
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, MSG
Stream: FuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Devils Will Cover The Spread/Win
Article Continues Below
The Devils' fortunes tonight rest on the status of Jack Hughes. He didn't fly with the team to Winnipeg for Tuesday's game but may meet them in Pittsburgh. They will likely hold Hughes out until Saturday night for a home date with their rival New York Rangers. However, if Hughes is in the lineup, the Devils were 6-2-1 before his injury. Hughes was the NHL's leading scorer and still leads the Devils in points despite missing five games. Hughes may need to knock the rust off in his first game back, but the added boost to getting their best player back should carry some weight for the Devils.
The Devils offense is scoring at a clip of 3.64 goals per game. Timo Meier, Jesper Bratt, and Tyler Toffoli have stepped up in Hischier and Hughes' absence. Dawson Mercer struggled to start the year but has three goals in his last four games. The Devils will likely need to outscore the Penguins in a track meet tonight to win, and they have the weapons to pull it off. If Hughes returns, the Devils look even better. The reason the Devils lost four of five with Hughes out of the lineup is that they rely too much on their offense. Until their defense improves, the Devils will be a nervous team to back every night.
Why The Penguins Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Penguins offense is having a great season. They have 3.64 goals per game and have 25 in their last five games. Crosby, Guentzel, and Malkin have combined for 24 goals, but their depth is coming through. Bryan Rust, Reilly Smith, and Lars Eller combined for 15 goals, while Kris Letang and Erik Karlsson have six goals. The Devils' most prominent issue is their defense, as they allow 3.86 goals per game, including 16 in the last three games. Goaltending was the Devils' downfall in 2022-23, and Vitek Vanecek has done nothing to change that narrative. He has a .887 save percentage and a 3.45 goals-against average this season.
With all of the future Hall-of-Famers in the Penguins lineup, it isn't surprising that they figured out how to produce offense. One issue that could have arisen is the aging core being outskated by some of the young teams in the league through a complete season. Through 14 games, that hasn't been the case. The Penguins defense has held steady, allowing only 2.64 goals per game. Karlsson, Letang, Marcus Pettersson, and Ryan Graves have been an acceptable top-four defense unit. Tristan Jarry is having a bounce-back season, registering a .918 save percentage and a 2.31 goals-against average.
Final Devils-Penguins Prediction & Pick
The Devils are showing major flaws with Hughes and Hischier out of the lineup. They have been doing their best to chip in on offense, but the depth isn't there to outscore their terrible defense. Jack Hughes producing goals every game covers up the warts that the Devils' defense possesses. The Penguins scored 25 goals in their last five games, and the Devils allowed 16 goals in their past three games.
Akira Schmid started the last game for the Devils, allowing five goals in a 6-3 loss. Neither goaltender has been a bright spot for them this season, so they will likely give Vanecek a chance tonight. Vanecek has a .887 save percentage and a 3.45 goals-against average. The Penguins may not maintain this offensive output, but good luck slowing down Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin when they get hot. Crosby is coming off a hat trick and is showing no signs of age, registering nine points in his last five games.
The Penguins will be motivated to put some breathing room between them and the Devils before they get back to full strength. The thing about a veteran-heavy team is that they know when they need to show up and put forth a professional effort.
Final Devils-Penguins Prediction & Pick: Penguins ML (-142)
