The New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes will meet in Game 2 of their NHL playoff series tonight. Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. EDT at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. The game will broadcast live on ESPN. Carolina leads the series 1-0.
The Hurricanes are favored at -278 on the moneyline, with the Devils are +225 to pull off the upset. The over/under set at 5.5 (+110o / -130u).
Let's get into our Devils vs. Hurricanes predictions and NHL picks.
Devils vs. Hurricanes Prediction
- Pick: Andrei Svechnikov Anytime Goalscorer (+250)
Our New Jersey vs. Carolina best bet is on Andrei Svechnikov Anytime Goalscorer, with the best odds currently available at DraftKings. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
Devils vs Hurricanes Odds
| Devils Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -125 | 5.5 110o / -130u | +230 |
| Hurricanes Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +105 | 5.5 110o / -130u | -280 |
- Devils vs. Hurricanes puck line: Hurricanes -1.5 (-102 ), Devils +1.5 (-120)
- Devils vs. Hurricanes over/under: 5.5 (+110o / -130u)
- Devils vs. Hurricanes moneyline: Devils +225, Hurricanes -278
- Devils vs. Hurricanes best bet: Andrei Svechnikov Anytime Goalscorer (+250)
Devils vs. Hurricanes Preview
By Nick Martin
The Carolina Hurricanes steamrolled the New Jersey Devils in Game 1, a game that was every bit as uneven as the 4-1 scoreline suggested. The Hurricanes are currently massive -800 favorites to win the series, and it’s hard to see how that number isn’t entirely fair.
The Devils allowed 20 high-danger scoring chances in Game 1 and 45 shots against, despite spending most of the contest trailing by several goals. They suffered another tough break as top defender Luke Hughes suffered an upper-body injury and will miss Tuesday’s matchup.
One of the reasons that I’m quite high on the Hurricanes’ chances of making a deep run is my belief that they hold better offensive depth than is widely credited. One player in particular who may be flying a little under the radar this postseason is Andrei Svechnikov, who has plenty of offensive upside but had a disappointing regular season, producing only 20 goals and 48 points in 72 games played.
The Hurricanes’ second line of Svechnikov, Taylor Hall, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi was entirely dominant in Game 1, finishing with a 95.2% expected goal share in even-strength play and combining for four points, though two of those came on Svechnikov’s empty-net goal.
Svechnikov’s line likely won’t spend much time playing against the Devils’ defensively dominant top line led by likely Selke Trophy candidate Nico Hischier, and should continue to play in some very favorable matchups in this series.
In 43.8 minutes of regular season play together, Carolina’s second trio held a 60.8% expected goal share and generated 4.11 goals per 60.
While it took an empty-netter for Svechnikov to finally break through in Game 1, he generated a game-high 1.25 individual expected goals and had eight shot attempts. He’s a talented shooter capable of finishing chances at an above-average rate and looks to be a good bet to score at +250 considering his output of chances in the series opener.
Best Bet: Andrei Svechnikov Anytime Goalscorer (+250)
