The New Jersey Devils (22-18-2) and New York Islanders (23-15-4) meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:30 p.m. EST at UBS Arena in Belmont Park, N.Y. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Devils are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 5.5 (-105o / -115u). The Devils are a -120 favorite to win outright, while the Islanders are +100 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Devils vs. Islanders predictions and NHL picks.
Devils vs. Islanders Odds, Pick
| Devils Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +210 | 5.5 -105o / -115u | -120 |
| Islanders Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -258 | 5.5 -105o / -115u | +100 |
- Devils vs. Islanders Spread: Devils -1.5 (+210), Islanders +1.5 (-258)
- Devils vs. Islanders Over/Under: 5.5 (-105o / -115u)
- Devils vs. Islanders Moneyline: Devils -120, Islanders +100
Devils vs. Islanders Preview
New Jersey Devils
Jack Hughes of the Devils returned from his freak injury on December 21, and since then, New Jersey has gone 2-4-1.
The Devils have certainly been an anomaly this season. It seems like coming into every season, they’re consistently one of the league’s most dangerous teams, but as of today, they’re out of the playoff hunt.
The talent is there. Along with Hughes, Jesper Bratt is among the league’s most dynamic playmakers and Nico Hischier is often an underappreciated player. But something isn’t clicking.
Since Hughes’ return, New Jersey is playing to a seventh-worst 45.22 xGF%, and also a third-worst 3.32 xGA/60 on the defensive side. Obviously, with Simon Nemec being out, it doesn’t exactly help things.
Either way, it’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of head coach Sheldon Keefe, who dealt with similar problems while he was with a much more star-heavy Maple Leafs a few years back.
One saving grace is that the Devils have a stellar power play, which makes sense given the high-powered talent up front, but the penalty kill has struggled as of late, which you can probably tack it onto goaltending.
Jake Allen and Jacob Markstrom have essentially split starts this season (partially due to a Markstrom injury), and Allen is probably the better option here.
Markstrom is notorious for being a brick wall one season and a sieve the next. We are currently in the sieve phase, folks.
New York Islanders
The Islanders continue to make things happen.
When you look at New York’s 5-on-5 numbers – even its power play – you wonder how it got to be second in the Metropolitan Division. Well, I’ll tell you!
Goaltending.
Both Ilya Sorokin and David Rittich have been put in difficult situations at times, given the Islanders' weak 3.1 xGA/60 over the past three weeks, but have managed to thrive. Before Sorokin got hurt, he was the top high danger goalie in the league, and now that title has gone to Rittich.
Sorokin will make his return tonight, so I’ll certainly be looking out for any sort of rust.
The Isles will be entering this matchup shorthanded, though, as Bo Horvat, who was named to Team Canada, will not be suiting up. He suffered sort of a freak injury that isn’t as serious, but I don’t anticipate seeing him for up to a month.
We also won’t know the status of star defenseman Matthew Schaefer, who has taken the league by storm in his rookie year. Schaefer, who helped the Isles beat the Maple Leafs in overtime with two goals, has been dealing with an illness.
Devils vs. Islanders Prediction
You can really go either way in this game, since both teams have been playing to an abysmally poor 5-on-5 game.
Not only that, New Jersey has a notable strength on the power play, while the Isles have been strong on the penalty kill, stopping 81.4% of opportunities.
The one major factor will be Sorokin. We most likely know what we’ll get out of either Allen or Markstrom, but what shape will Sorokin be in?
Should he be on his game, I truly think this has the potential to be a lower-scoring bout.
However, if Sorokin shows that he’s a little rusty and has let in a few “gimmes,” then there’s definitely an opportunity to live-bet the Devils puck line.
Keep an eye out for Sorokin. For now, I’m betting the under, but how he plays will be the real test.
Pick: Under 5.5 | Possible Live Bet: Devils -1.5 if Sorokin Let's Up Quick Goals
