A pair of teams with entirely opposite records will face off on the ice as the New Jersey Devils will take on the Anaheim Ducks in Southern California. It is time to check out our NHL odds series where our Devils-Ducks prediction and pick will be made.
Coming into this matchup with an extremely effective 26-12-3 record altogether, the Devils have taken the league by storm with some efficient play that has led them to the fourth-most points in all of the Eastern Conference. Fresh off of an impressive 5-3 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey will attempt to win a third straight contest en route to making up some ground on the rest of the contending teams out east.
As for the Ducks, Anaheim cannot seem to garner any positive momentum as the NHL regular season marches on to the second half of the campaign. After securing back-to-back wins for the first time in a hit minute, the Ducks have taken another couple steps back with two straight defeats in which Anaheim surrendered a whopping 13 goals combined. With one of the lesser point totals in all of the NHL, things can't get much worse for this Ducks organization.
Here are the Devils-Ducks NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Odds: Devils-Ducks Odds
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (-140)
Anaheim Ducks: +1.5 (+114)
Over: 6.5 (-114)
Under: 6.5 (-106)
How To Watch Devils vs. Ducks
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN+
Time: 10:00 ET/7:00 PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Devils Could Cover The Spread
One of the more terrorizing clubs in North America, most teams definitely feel it after playing a hard-fought 60 minutes against the Devils. In fact, not many teams play as physically as New Jersey throughout the league as the Devils love to publish their foes on the boards. The last time out, the Devils edged the Hurricanes in total hits and used that aggressive brand of play to dislodge Carolina from the puck.
Without a doubt, don't be surprised if the Devils once again out-physical the Ducks on their way to another covering of the spread. As its stands, New Jersey has compiled an extremely efficient 24-17 record ATS and doesn't look to be slowing down anytime soon in that department.
More specifically, be on the lookout for center Jack Hughes to continue on his tear this season. Thus far, Hughes leads the team with 26 goals and 49 points altogether. Since being drafted back in 2019 with the number-one overall pick that year, Hughes has showcased his next-level speed in the crease and possesses phenomenal stick control with the puck. Alas, the Ducks do not have anyone on their roster with the type of skill that Hughes boasts, and getting their top skating center involved early will pay dividends for New Jersey.
Why The Ducks Could Cover The Spread
On paper, it doesn't seem like the Ducks have much of a chance against a high-caliber team like the Devils, but there are indeed a few elements of this one that Anaheim could perfect that would give them a tremendous shot at covering the spread.
Upon first glance, there is no question that the Ducks need to figure out their goaltending situation. At the moment, there is not one team in the NHL that has allowed more goals than the Ducks, as Anaheim has surrendered a stupendous 175 goals on the year. If the Ducks want any sniff at covering the spread later tonight in front of their home faithful, then they need one of their goaltenders to step up in a big way. Whether it is John Gibson or Lukas Dostal that gets the start in net tonight, the outcome of this one will fall upon these net-minders shoulders.
With that being said, the Ducks' offensive attack has failed to live up to expectations as well. While this unit hasn't necessarily been as bad as their defense and goaltending efforts, Anaheim is only averaging 2.26 goals per game which rank as second-to-last in all of hockey. Simply put, Anaheim's main priority when it comes to their game plan offensively will need to revolve around All-Star Troy Terry and finding a way to get him in the scoring department. Although Terry leads the club in goals scored with 12 total, he is currently in the midst of an eleven-game scoreless streak and is no doubt starting to get restless out on the ice. If Anaheim fails to give Terry good looks with the scheme they bring forth on Friday night, then they can kiss their chances of covering goodbye.
Final Devils-Ducks Prediction & Pick
As much as some of you bettors love siding with the underdog and profiting off of good values, it would not be very wise to take a bad Anaheim team to cover against a true championship contender in the Devils.
Final Devils-Ducks Prediction & Pick: Devils -1.5 (-140)
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