The Anaheim Ducks will play the third game of their four-game eastern Atlantic trip as they face the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center. We're here to share our NHL odds series, make a Ducks-Devils prediction, and pick while showing you how to watch.
The Ducks fell 5-1 to the New York Rangers on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. Initially, things looked good as Brett Leason broke through with a goal. But the Ducks allowed Chris Kreider to score four minutes later to lose the lead. The teams played each other tight halfway through the second period before the Rangers struck for two goals. Then, the floodgates opened in the third period, and the Ducks could not rally.
Rookie Leo Carlsson had two shots on goal while winning five faceoffs and losing 11. Sadly, the Ducks were still without Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, and Jaime Drysdale. Goalie Lukas Dostal continued to struggle, allowing five goals on 39 shots. Also, the Ducks took 30 shots while winning 48 percent of their faceoffs. Likewise, they went 0 for 3 on the powerplay and 4 for 6 on the penalty kill. The Ducks leveled 13 hits and blocked 19 shots.
The Devils defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-3 on Saturday at the Nationwide Arena in Ohio. Amazingly, they scored 47 seconds into the game when Jack Hughes got one past the goalie. Erik Haula added a goal to make it 2-0. However, after allowing a quick goal to start the second period, the Devils responded back ten-fold when Tyler Toffoli scored to make it 3-1. It was 3-2 later in the second period when Hughes got a powerplay goal for his second tally of the game. Ultimately, Nico Hischier made it 5-2 in the third before Hughes finished it off with an empty-net goal to seal the game and the hat trick.
The Devils fired 30 shots on the net while winning 59 percent of their faceoffs. Likewise, they went 1 for 2 on the powerplay and 3 for 4 on the penalty kill. They also leveled nine hits and blocked 13 shots. Overall, goalie Akira Schmid made 23 saves to preserve the win.
The Devils swept the Ducks last season. Moreover, they have won three in a row and are 6-3-1 over the past 10 games against the Ducks. The Devils are 4-1 against the Ducks over the past five games at the Prudential Center, averaging 2.8 goals while allowing the Ducks to score an average of two.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Ducks-Devils Odds
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (-113)
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (-106)
Over: 6.5 (-115)
Under: 6.5 (-105)
How to Watch Ducks vs. Devils
Time: 7:10 PM ET/4:10 PM PT
TV: Bally Sports Southern California, Bally Sports San Diego, Madison Square Garden Spectrum, and ESPN+
Stream: fuboTV (Click for free trial)
Why The Ducks Will Cover The Spread
The Ducks are hoping the reinforcements arrive soon. Pathetically, they have gone 1-13 over 14 games and cannot seem to get back on track. The main issue has been scoring and turnovers in their own zone.
Frank Vatrano leads the Ducks with 14 goals and nine assists, including five powerplay tallies. However, he has not scored a point in five straight games. McTavish could return tonight as he was a game-time decision on Friday. Subsequently, the Ducks would love his return as he had 10 goals and 11 assists, including two powerplay tallies, while also winning 192 draws and losing 145. Troy Terry continues to struggle and is at six goals and 10 assists. However, his linemate could also return, as Zegras could step into the lineup soon. Carlsson has eight goals and six assists, including three powerplay makers, for the Ducks this season. Overall, the offense is 29th in goals, 29th in shooting percentage, and 13th on the powerplay.
John Gibson will likely take the net and come in with a record of 5-13 with a 2.89 goals-against average and a save percentage of .905. Ultimately, he will play behind a defense that is 26th in goals against and 16th on the penalty kill.
The Ducks will cover the spread if they can generate early scoring chances. Then, they must avoid taking penalties.
Why The Devils Will Cover The Spread
The Devils find themselves in the thick of the playoff race and are trying to build even more ground as they host a struggling Western Conference team. Significantly, their offense has been a major reason for their revival, as they are eighth in goals, fifth in shooting percentage, and possess the best powerplay unit in the league. Hughes now has 14 goals and 23 assists, including four powerplay markers. Despite these accolades, he struggles in the faceoff circle and has only won 82 draws while losing 148.
Jesper Bratt has 12 goals and 24 assists. Meanwhile, Toffoli has 13 goals and 10 assists now after breaking his long slump. The Devils are still without defenseman Dougie Hamilton for an extended period, which may leave them vulnerable.
Goalie Vitek Vanecek will make the start and comes in with a mark of 11-5 with a 3.33 goals-against average and a save percentage of .883. Substantially, he will play behind a defense that is 21st in goals against and 26th on the penalty kill.
The Devils will cover the spread if they can continue to put out some scoring chances. Likewise, they also must avoid taking penalties as the Ducks do most of their scoring on the extra-man attack.
Final Ducks-Devils Prediction & Pick
The Devils are where the Ducks seek to be. Consequently, they are a significantly better team going into this one.
Final Ducks-Devils Prediction & Pick: New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (-106)