Devils vs. Rangers is an incredible first round matchup. Not only because of the rivalry, but because the teams are so closely matched.
This matchup is tight, as evidenced by the fact that there's nearly equal the amount of bets on each side. The Action Network's proprietary data indicates 45% of the wagers are on the Rangers while 55% of the bets are heading to New Jersey.
I'm a Devils fan, which makes it hard to rationally bet on these games. But our hockey guy Mike Leboff has convinced me to look into series leading goalscorer futures.
BetMGM gives you an option of picking a team's leading goalscorer or the series leading goalscorer. I like taking a shot at both.
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Looking at the odds, the best chance I see in cashing in is second year Devils center Dawson Mercer, who is getting 16-1 to be the leading goalscorer in the series and +850 to lead the Devils.
Mercer's pure consistency in getting points is only matched by Devils star Jack Hughes. This season, Mercer was fourth on the team in goals (27), and he had a goal in eight straight games and a point in 12 consecutive.
He's physical, which will be important for this series, and he's probably the Devils' best player hanging around the net. He's made a name for himself all season on goalie screens and second chance tip-ins.
When given time, Rangers goalie Igor Shesherkin is remarkable. But it's the scrappy shots that make him beatable. And Mercer is the king of cleaning up around the crease.
Take Dawson Mercer at BetMGM to have the most goals in the series (16/1) and most goals for the Devils (+850).
