Devils vs Senators Prediction: NHL Odds, Preview, Best Bets (Friday, Dec. 29)
Pictured: Claude Giroux. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
Devils vs. Senators Odds
| Devils Odds | -115 |
| Senators Odds | -104 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -160/+130 |
This has been a sad season for the Senators, but they have won their past two games, so perhaps they're showing some life under the guidance of recently appointed head coach Jacques Martin. Let's take a closer look at that while previewing the upcoming contest and offering a Devils vs. Senators prediction.
On the surface, New Jersey looks like a pretty good team. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Tyler Toffoli, Timo Meier and Nico Hischier compromise one of the best forward groups in the league. Each of those five has surpassed the 70-point milestone at least once dating back to 2021-22. Additionally, New Jersey has Dawson Mercer, a 22-year-old who scored 27 goals and 56 points as a sophomore last year, as well as Erik Haula and Ondrej Palat, who can typically provide around 40 points per campaign.
What an embarrassment of riches both in terms of high-end talent and scoring depth. That's not even touching on Dougie Hamilton, who is an elite offensive defenseman, and Luke Hughes, who is one of this year's best rookie blueliners.
That group has mostly delivered on its promise. There have been setbacks, most notably with Hamilton suffering a torn pectoral muscle that's kept him out since Nov. 28, but they're still tied for eighth offensively with 3.42 goals per game.
And yet, if the season were to end today, New Jersey would fall just short of a wild-card spot with its 18-13-2 record. Offense can only get a team so far if the goaltending is terrible. Akira Schmid has a 5-7-1 record, a 3.25 GAA and a .893 save percentage in 15 contests, which prompted the Devils to return him to AHL Utica on Thursday, but his counterpart, Vitek Vanecek, hasn't been any better with a 3.28 GAA and an .884 save percentage in 21 outings. Nico Daws is up from the minors and perhaps he'll be better, but he's 23, has logged just three AHL games this season and hasn't played in the NHL since 2021-22, so there's no guarantee he'll be the answer.
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The Senators, led by Tim Stutzle, Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux, Brady Tkachuk and Vladimir Tarasenko, also feature a strong forward group with results nearly identical to those in New Jersey — 3.43 goals per game. Yet, Ottawa hasn't even achieved mediocrity, instead posting a 13-17-0 record this year.
Like the Devils, the Senators are missing their top defenseman in Thomas Chabot (lower body), but goaltending is the central problem. The Senators made a long-term commitment to Joonas Korpisalo when they inked him to a five-year, $20-million contract over the summer and he's rewarded them with a 3.62 GAA and an .891 save percentage in 19 outings. To be fair, Anton Forsberg hasn't done any better, recording a 3.29 GAA and an .877 save percentage through 12 appearances.
Devils vs. Senators
Betting Pick & Prediction
Despite New Jersey having a better record, these teams are pretty similar in terms of their construction, strengths and weaknesses. For that reason, it's not surprising that oddsmakers are only treating the Devils as slight favorites. The expectation is also that this will be a high-scoring game with the over/under set at seven goals.
I'm going to recommend the Senators for a couple reasons. First, the game is being played in Ottawa, which typically has mattered for the Senators (they're 9-9-0 at home versus 4-8-0 on the road). They're also on a bit of a streak and while their goaltending hasn't come along for the ride, they'll be up against similarly leaky netminding. Finally, in situations where the two clubs are almost mirror images of each other, I'd rather take the side offering the bigger possible return.
Pick: Ottawa Senators Moneyline | Play to -110
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