It is game one of the Eastern Conference semi-finals as the New Jersey Devils face off against the Carolina Hurricanes. It's time to continue our NHL odds series with a game one Devils-Hurricanes prediction pick, and how to watch.
For the Devils, it took seven games to dispatch the Rangers. After being down two games to none, losing both games at home, and scoring just two goals, the Devils roared back. They won three straight but failed to finish the series in game six. They buckled down in game seven, with a 4-0 shutout win over the Rangers in which they were dominant.
Carolina edged the Devils by one point in the regular season to get home ice in this series. They come off a six-game series with the Islanders. Unlike New Jersey, Carolina won the first two at home and then took game four to give them a chance to close out the series. Like the Devils, it took them two tries to end the series, finally ending it in game six, and getting a little more rest going into this one.
Here are the Devils-Hurricanes NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel
NHL Playoffs Odds: Devils-Hurricanes Odds
New Jersey Devils: +1.5 (-250)
Carolina Hurricanes: -1.5 (+202)
Over: 5.5 (+108)
Under: 5.5 (-132)
How To Watch Devils vs. Hurricanes
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+/NHLPP
Time: 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why The Devils Could Cover The Spread
It was game three and the New Jersey Devils turned to Arika Schmid in goal. Schmid started only 14 games in the regular season, going 9-5-2 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.13 goals-against average. After his hot start in November and early December, where he won his first four starts, Schmid cooled off, and his last three starts were awful. His last start for the Devils lasted just 10:55 as he let in three goals on seven shots against the Sabres on March 24th. After going down 0-2 to the Rangers, Schmid took over. He had two shutouts and a 1.38 goals-against average to win the series for the Devils. He saves 95.1% of shots he face, and in-game seven, saved all 31 of them. Schmid is hot, and hot goaltenders win.
Another big reason for the turnaround in the Devils' series over the Rangers was shooting. While they increased their shooting in games five and six, it was not the volume that was the difference. The difference in the wins was the locations. In the four wins, the Devils shot in the high-danger scoring area over 40% of the time or more. They failed to do that in the three losses. Secondly, was the penalty kill. In the series, the Devils allowed five power-play goals. They all came in the three losses they encountered. In the four wins, they went a perfect 14 for 14 on the penalty kill.
The Hurricanes also need to watch out for Erik Haula. Haula got hot in the series, scoring three goals and notching two assists in the final three wins for the Devils. When he is scoring, that is a good thing for New Jersey. With him hot, that is even better. Jack Hughes also had a good series. He scored three goals and gave five assists. In games in which Hughes got a point, the Devils went 3-2 on the series. Also in the Devil's favor is their full offense did not show up in the series against the Rangers. Forty-goal scorer Timot Meier failed to record a point in the series. If he gets going, it will mean big things for the Devils.
Why The Hurricanes Could Cover The Spread
The Hurricanes took the first two games of the series against the Islanders and looked to be in control. Though the series was tight, they had a firm grasp. They won the first two games by just one goal each, but in game three, they found themselves at the hand of a 5-1 blowout. The Hurricanes bounced back and took a 5-2 win in game four, but lost game five 3-2. The Islanders scored first in game six, and this series looked like it was going the distance. Then Sebastian Aho scored his fourth of the series in the third period to tie it. The game would remain tied until Paul Stastny won the series six minutes into overtime.
The powerplay that had failed the Hurricanes so often in years past showed up in the series. They scored five goals on the powerplay in the series, all of those goals were in three of the four Hurricanes' wins. Stefan Noesen scored two of them, while also assisting on two of the power play goals. Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Martin Necas each scored a power-play goal, while Brent Burns grabbed three assists on the man advantage. Aho was amazing in the series overall, scoring four goals and adding three assists in the six games.
To close out the series, the Hurricanes moved to Frederik Andersen, who sabes 33 of 34 shots, good for a .971 save percentage. Now, Rod Brind'Amour has a decision to make. Andersen was amazing in his game, but Raanta was the primary goaltender for much of the year. He never had a game with a .971 save percentage though. Meanwhile, he struggled in three games with below .900, resulting in two losses.
Final Devils-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick
Two things will decide game one of these series. The first is the powerplay. The Devils won by killing the man advantage of the Rangers. The Hurricanes won by taking advantage of the powerplay. The second is goaltending. Both teams have a hot goaltender, but Schmid has the longer streak going. If the Hurricanes go back to Raanta, pick the Devils to win. If not, expect a close, one-goal game. Regardless, the Devils cover.
Final Devils-Hurricanes Prediction & Pick: Devils +1.5 (-250)
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