The New Jersey Devils will try to even their best-of-seven series up with the Carolina Hurricanes when they play host for tonight’s Game 4.
All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook
Carolina Hurricanes (+126) vs. New Jersey Devils (-152) Total: 5.5 (O-105, U-115)After looking incompetent through the first two games in this series on the road, the New Jersey Devils had a nice response in Game 3 at home, doubling up Carolina 8-4. It’s hard to see a similar game environment play out in this Game 4 tonight, but it’s still noteworthy that the Devils found their scoring touch. Being a team with as much skill as the Devils have, they must find a way to continue moving the puck efficiently and creating offense, which will be challenging to do in back-to-back games against this stingy Carolina team.
The Devils are listed as home favorites for tonight’s Game 4 on the moneyline at -152, while the Hurricanes are priced at +126.
Looking toward the projected goalie matchup tonight, the Devils are expected to continue riding Vitek Vanecek, while the Hurricanes should do the same with Frederik Andersen. The Devils’ netminder has posted a 1-2 record, paired with a .845 save percentage, while Andersen is sitting at 3-0, with a .925 save percentage in these playoffs. Andersen should have the edge when you factor in his experience but don’t discount what Akira Schmid has been able to accomplish. Keep an eye on the Devils’ pre-game notes, even if Vanecek is listed as the likely starter.
New Jersey has been a very streaky team to this point in the playoffs, and there’s value in expecting them to carry over their Game 3 performance and confidence tonight. Even though Carolina is the favorite in this series, and rightfully so, New Jersey is a great team in their own right, and we like for them to find a way to even up this set on home ice tonight.
Best Bet: Devils moneyline (-152)
The first three games in this series have seen six, seven, and twelve total goals scored. The total for tonight’s Game 4 is 5.5, with the over priced at -105, while the under is at -115. Oddsmakers aren’t expecting a high-scoring environment in Game 4 tonight, and it’s hard to blame them. All three contests have been won by multiple goals and in blowout fashion, though, which makes an interesting case to target the over here. We expect these teams to be more buttoned up tonight, but there’s too much value in the over to pass it up.
Best Bet: Over 5.5 (-105)
The New Jersey Devils don’t get the credit they deserve for having some of the most talented forwards in the NHL. Jack Hughes completely broke out this season and took his game to a superstar level, which was a big reason why the Devils were able to find much more success on a team level. Hughes has performed like a star in the postseason, where he’s tallied nine points over ten games to lead the club in scoring. Hughes is the type of player New Jersey needs to perform tonight, and there’s a lot of value in backing him to score at +146.
Best Prop: Jack Hughes to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+146)
