Two of the top teams in the NHL are set to face off later tonight, with the Vegas Golden Knights playing host to the surging New Jersey Devils.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
New Jersey Devils (-111) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (-108) Total: 6 (O-122, U+100)The Devils and Golden Knights have been playing some consistent hockey of late, and there’s certainly good reason to be bullish about these teams. This will be the second meeting between these clubs, with the original matchup at the end of January seeing the Devils pick up a 3-2 victory. New Jersey is listed as a slight road favorite on the moneyline at -111, while the Golden Knights are priced at -108.
Entering this matchup, the Devils have won three in a row and posted a 7-2-1 record over their past ten games, while the Golden Knights are sitting at 7-1-2 over that same sample size. It’s easy to feel good about the direction these teams are currently headed in, and that’s likely to result in a tight matchup and a one-goal game.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the Devils are expected to continue riding Vitek Vanecek, while the Golden Knights should do the same with Adin Hill. The Devils’ netminder has been solid in his first season with New Jersey, posting a 26-6-3 record and a .910 save percentage. Hill is sitting at 15-6-1, along with a .912 save percentage. It isn’t easy to give a significant edge to either starter, meaning we’ll consider this a wash in net.
Since the Devils made a big splash and acquired Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks, they’ve really started to get back on track and make a run for the Metropolitan division title. New Jersey has slightly more going for them at the moment, and we like the prospects of them just a bit more, meaning we’ll be content siding with their moneyline odds at -111.
Best Bet: Devils moneyline (-111)
The Devils have much stronger underlying numbers than this Golden Knights team, which is one of the reasons we’re led in their direction here. New Jersey sits in the top six in the NHL in both goals scored and allowed per game, while the Golden Knights are stronger defensively than they’re on offense. Over the Devils’ past five games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in each matchup, while the Golden Knights have seen that transpire in just one of their contests. New Jersey is on a tear offensively of late, and we like that to continue here, meaning we’re comfortable siding with the over six at -122.
Best Bet: Over 6 (-122)
The recent additions that the Devils have made to their lineup have allowed them to have much more scoring depth and led players to be put in better positions to succeed. That’s one major reason that Devils forward Dawson Mercer has popped off of late, registering seven goals and four assists over their past five games to lead the club. There’s a lot to like about how the youngster has continued to develop, and he’s showing off his newfound offensive flare of late. Despite his recent hot stretch, he’s still undervalued with his goal-scoring prop price, where he sits at +220.
Best Prop: Dawson Mercer to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+220)
