Hurricanes vs. Devils Odds
| Hurricanes Odds | -210 |
| Devils Odds | +170 |
| Over/Under | 6 |
| Time | 7 p.m. ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
| Odds via DraftKings. Get up-to-the-minute NHL Odds here. | |
The Devils' nightmare season hit a new low in Wednesday's 4-1 loss to the Coyotes, and they will look for a response as they play host to the Hurricanes on Saturday. That will be no easy task, however, as the Canes' deep and well-balanced roster continues to post excellent results, including a spectacular performance Friday night in a 6-3 win over the Rangers.
Hurricanes Could Be NHL's Best Team
Carolina's strong showing in its massive showdown with the Rangers on Friday in a battle of the Metropolitan Division's two top teams (in standings) goes as a firm statement about just how deep and talented its roster currently is.
Carolina's potent attack has created an xGF/60 rate of 3.65 in the month of January, and as expected with the talent this roster holds, the Canes have moved up to fourth in terms of offensive production, with 3.57 goals per game this season.
There are some truly elite pieces at the top in Sebastien Aho and Evgeny Svechnikov, as well as a vast wealth of depth forwards carrying the load in behind. There are also some tremendous puck-moving defensemen helping to drive the play up the ice.
To me this is a legitimate cup contender, and it seems like they maybe are even being somewhat slept on for being the league's top team by points %. They are doing so with dominant analytics, an excellent netminder and a roster that suggests they should be doing exactly what they are doing.
Antti Raanta should start here, and he has been a solid backup for the Canes, posting a 1.9 goals saved above expected and a .908 save % throughout 10 games played.
Devils Season Continues To Disappoint
In a year which once offered so much promise for the Devils, who had been expected to at least be competitive in the Metropolitan Division playoff race, the disappointment continues to grow as the losing results pile up.
Surely two mid-month scheduling pauses hasn't helped, and a 51.05 xGF% over their last five suggests perhaps they could have fared better to an extent.
But that mark also comes with two contests against Columbus, and one each Arizona and the Islanders, who have all been less dominant than average in controlling even-strength play of late.
The nature of the soft defensive zone play at times has been noticeable to the eye, as well as the poor goaltending play, and it's not surprising to see this team allow more goals than the analytics suggest yet again this season.
There are some positives, however, with the offensive play of Jasper Bratt, Jack Hughes and 20-year-old Dawson Mercer.
Obviously Hughes is expected to get to a point where he dominates this league as a top player, but the ridiculous offensive skillset of Jasper Bratt continues to be slept on. He has had an excellent breakout year this season. Mercer likely wasn't supposed to be this good this quick, and there are some bright spots in this Devils offensive unit to be sure.
Mackenzie Blackwood should draw the start here, and he has been very shaky, posting a -10.3 goals saved above expected rating with an .894 save % throughout 23 starts this season.
Hurricanes vs. Devils Pick
The Devils will be beyond desperate here, looking to shake off an embarrassing home loss to the Coyotes, but outside of that angle, it's hard to see much reason why they should be able to hold Carolina to a reasonable offensive output.
These ultra-competitive professionals are looking to be at their very best night in and night out, and for the developing young Devils, that has yet to produce much in the way of success this season.
Their sloppy defensive breakdowns as well as poor goaltending has seen them allow 14.19 goals against above expected this season, on pace for a similar mark to the 24.3 mark the team set last year.
The Devils have allowed 3.57 goals against per game over their last seven contests, with several of those games coming against some notably soft competition, which these Hurricanes absolutely are not.
There are still enough offensive pieces that I think New Jersey can find a way to cage a few against a Carolina team skating in night two of a back-to-back situation and without Andersen starting, but to me the most likely way this game should go is a Hurricanes win in a relatively high-scoring game.
I see value on a Carolina win parlayed with a total over 6. It is more likely than the long price currently available at +188 suggests, and I would play it down to +165.
Pick: Over 6 Parlayed with Carolina ML +186
