Devils vs. Oilers Odds
| Devils Odds | +136 |
| Oilers Odds | -164 |
| Over / Under | 7.5 +138/ -170 |
Both these high-powered teams have authored similar stories to start this season. They entered as preseason Stanley Cup favorites but came out of the gates slow and fell behind the pace in their respective playoff races.
The Devils have won three straight and can sweep their road swing with a victory Sunday. Injuries to Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier were a valid excuse for middling play, as with both now healthy and in strong form New Jersey looks like an elite side again.
The Oilers meanwhile have won six in a row and are looking unstoppable with Stuart Skinner now making the saves he is supposed to, and Connor McDavid looks like the best player alive one again.
Check out my best bet from this tremendous matchup between the Devils and Oilers below.
New Jersey Devils
It should not be at all surprising to see the Devils stabilizing now that they are near full health and receiving stronger play in net. They had a betting total of 105.5 points entering this campaign and were hyped to be an elite team once again.
The Devils had one of the leagues most dynamic offenses last season because they created more chances than any side off of the rush and could effectively attack with all five skaters once established in the offensive zone. All of their key pieces were returned, with most skating in their true primes. Full seasons from Luke Hughes and Timo Meier also raised the Devils' upside.
It feels like we are on the cusp of everybody realizing the Devils have found their game.
Hischier returned seven games ago, and during this span the Devils own a 55.86% Expected Goal rating and have generated 4.09 xGF/60 per game.
The loss of Dougie Hamilton certainly hurts, but 2022 second overall pick Simon Nemec continues to look ready to make a difference at the NHL level.
Akira Schmid should get the start in net on Sunday. He has played to a -1.9 GSAx and .902 save percentage in 11 appearances this season. He was excellent Thursday in Seattle in a game his side had no business winning.
Edmonton Oilers
The Oilers have cleaned up some of the ugly defensive breakdowns under new coach Kris Knoblauch, but the greatest factor in their turnaround simply seems to be Skinner finding his game in goal. They were also due for some more puck luck on offense, and that has surely come as the Oilers have put up 4.85 goals per game during their six-game win streak.
Skinner has played all six games from Edmonton's winning streak and owns a .931 save percentage in that span. As the Oilers hold no suitable backup option, he will likely start again in this matchup.
Edmonton's defense will really be given a chance to prove their worth versus a Devils offense which is finding its stride. It's only been two weeks since everybody thought they were defensively a gong-show, and they've faced some cold offenses in this turnaround.
Devils vs. Oilers
Betting Pick & Prediction
The Devils have stabilized every bit as much as the Oilers since Hischier and Hughes returned to the lineup. It doesn't feel like it though, as it seems that all of the hype entering this matchup lies with McDavid and company.
New Jersey's bounce back from a slow start is flying under the radar. This is a Cup-level team that is now playing its best hockey. The Devils' goaltending situation does still look quite concerning, and it is not something I'm excited to back here.
With Hischier back in strong form, the Devils boast three quality even strength units and own what should finish as the second-best power play in the league beyond that. They can certainly still give the Oilers problems in transition and their depth could also give Edmonton issues.
If Skinner has a more modest start than we have seen lately, the Devils could easily hang a big total here. They can give the Oilers more problems defensively than this number suggests, and this game should be played at a crazy pace. My favorite angle from this game is targeting New Jersey to score over 3.5 goals at +125.
Pick: New Jersey Devils Team Total Over 3.5 +125
