The Florida Panthers (30-27-3) and New Jersey Devils (29-29-2) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EST at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The game will be broadcast live on TNT.
The Panthers are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-120o / -100u). The Panthers are a -110 favorite to win outright, while the Devils are -110 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Panthers vs. Devils predictions and NHL picks.
Panthers vs. Devils Odds, Pick
| Panthers Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +235 | 5.5 -120o / -100u | -110 |
| Devils Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -279 | 5.5 -120o / -100u | -110 |
- Panthers vs. Devils Spread: Panthers -1.5 (+235), Devils +1.5 (-279)
- Panthers vs. Devils Over/Under: 5.5 (-120o / -100u)
- Panthers vs. Devils Moneyline: Panthers -110, Devils -110
Panthers vs. Devils Preview
Florida Panthers
Any of you remember in my futures piece last month that I decided to take a flyer on the Panthers making the playoffs?
I don’t want to rule anything out, but so far… It’s not looking great.
Since returning from the Olympics, the Panthers started by beating Toronto 5-1, but since then they have lost to Buffalo 3-2 and blew a two-goal lead against the Islanders.
Initially, when I picked the Panthers to make a playoff run, I put it solely on the shoulders of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, who needed that three-week break after playing an incredible amount of hockey over the past three seasons.
But I don’t think that break helped all that much. Since coming back from the break, Florida’s 5-on-5 has been solid, playing to a 53.3 xGF% and a 2.87 xGA/60.
However, Bobrovsky’s performance against the Islanders was inexcusable, letting up five goals on 26 shots faced.
The return of Matthew Tkachuk has certainly been a nice bonus and Sam Bennett has recorded a point in each game back. But if Florida is going to continue to let easy pucks get by, the magical run this franchise has been on may end soon.
New Jersey Devils
There’s a group of teams in the NHL that most fans and analysts seem to agree are going to be exciting and fun. The Devils are one of them.
The problem is, New Jersey has dealt with a ton of injury issues and, like its counterparts, goaltending mishaps.
Jack Hughes is still riding high from being the American hero, and rightfully so. Since coming off a tremendous high in the Olympics, he’s recorded a point in every game played. And he’s been doing it on a line with Connor Brown and Arseny Gritsyuk.
To Gritsyuk’s credit, in his first NHL season, he’s having a heck of a year. He’s notched nine goals and 14 assists thus far, but I do wonder if Hughes would be better served being on a line with Jesper Bratt.
Bratt being on the third line boggles my mind, but it’s fairly clear that head coach Sheldon Keefe is not a fan of his, despite being the team’s second leading scorer.
As I mentioned, goaltending has been sort of a sore spot. Veteran Jake Allen has been really solid, but it’s clear that the Devils want to ride with Jacob Markstrom, who can be a bit of a wild card depending on what day it is.
Since Markstrom has played the last two games, Allen is confirmed to be the starter and New Jersey can seriously use his .907 SV% and 6.7 GSAx.
Panthers vs. Devils Prediction
This is an evenly priced game, and it’s very obvious why.
Florida has struggled on the road with a 14-13 record, while the Devils have been inconsistent at home with a 13-13-2 record.
It just feels like these teams are all over the place. I look at the numbers and I get overstimulated.
New Jersey has a bottom-10 5-on-5 offense, and defensively it middles out. While Florida this season is ranking 12th in offense and defense. But what’s crazy is that the Panthers have the eighth-best penalty kill, and a power play that converts at a 20% clip.
But Bobrovsky is the one deciding factor.
It’s very possible that the Panthers would be at least fighting for a playoff spot right now had Bobrovsky been a tad better. But he’s statistically been one of the worst goalies in the league, so it’s hurt Florida’s chances.
In a game that is marked at 5.5 goals, I feel good about taking the over. Florida has hit this mark in five of its last six games, but the Devils haven’t hit the over since January 27th.
This is very much a pick ‘em, but the Panthers usually get other teams to play to their volatile style.
Pick: Over 5.5
