The New Jersey Devils (4-1-0) and Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-1) meet in an Eastern Conference duel tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. EDT at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, ON. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Maple Leafs are favored by -1.5 on the puck line, with the over/under set at 6 (-105o / -115u). The Maple Leafs are a -120 favorite to win outright, while the Devils are +100 to pull off the upset.
Let's get into my Devils vs. Maple Leafs predictions and NHL picks.
Devils vs. Maple Leafs Odds, Pick
| Devils Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
+1.5 -260 | 6 -105o / -115u | +100 |
| Maple Leafs Odds | ||
|---|---|---|
| Spread | Total | Moneyline |
-1.5 +205 | 6 -105o / -115u | -120 |
- Devils vs. Maple Leafs Spread: Maple Leafs -1.5 (+205), Devils +1.5 (-260)
- Devils vs. Maple Leafs Over/Under: 6 (-105o / -115u)
- Devils vs. Maple Leafs Moneyline: Devils +100, Maple Leafs -120
Devils vs. Maple Leafs Preview
New Jersey Devils
After losing on opening night to the Carolina Hurricanes, the New Jersey Devils have been on a total heater with four straight wins against legitimate teams.
The players who are supposed to be showing up are indeed showing up.
Jesper Bratt hasn’t been held without a point yet and Jack Hughes just lit up the Oilers with three points on Saturday.
Overall, as a team, they’re playing exceptionally well 5-on-5 on the offensive end, ranking ninth in expected goals with a 52.6 xGF%, but are slogging along on the defensive end with a 17th-ranked 2.55 xGA/60.
Luckily, special teams have been firing on all cylinders. With all the dynamic playmakers New Jersey has, this shouldn’t come as a surprise. On the power play, it’s scoring at a 25% clip, while it holds the third-best penalty kill in all of hockey with a 95% success rate.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the play of veteran goaltender Jake Allen, who’s come in and performed exceptionally well in place of the injured Jacob Markstrom. In three starts, Allen is playing to a .934 SV% and a 2.7 GSAx.
Don’t expect this to continue, though. Allen has always been a backup for a reason, dealing with consistency issues. But for now, he’s holding strong.
Toronto Maple Leafs
It wouldn’t be a Toronto Maple Leafs season if there weren’t some sort of drama. But the fact that it happened six games into the season is crazy.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz had a few words to say about his team after they fell to the Seattle Kraken in overtime.
“Maybe we can take a page out of their book and start getting to the net. I mean, for us, we like to go low to high and shoot. But for their goalie, it’s like playing catch in the yard. He’s seeing everything.”
Yikes.
But to Stolarz’s point, Toronto hasn’t been the top-five offensive team to start the season that we’re used to seeing. Maybe it needs another dynamic playmaker like Mitch Marner.
Sorry, Leafs fans, that was probably too soon.
At 5-on-5 play, the Leafs are playing to a downtrodden 48.17 xGF% and a 2.51 xGA/60. Not only that, but for a team that was once one of the best power plays in the league, it is only scoring at a 14.3% pace.
When you have players like Auston Matthews and William Nylander running the show, that number is unacceptable.
Devils vs. Maple Leafs Prediction
Toronto has played every game this season minus one in front of its home fans, and yet, it can’t seem to get out of its own way.
The Devils, on the other hand, are playing with a lot of momentum, having beaten Stanley Cup-contending teams like the Panthers, Oilers, and Lightning, and already securing two wins on the road.
I’m feeling incredibly bullish on New Jersey this season, even though I’m expecting a drop off from Allen down the road. It has its players playing dynamic hockey, and given how poor the vibes are in The 6, I’m picking the Devils to bring the Leafs a world of hurt.
Pick: Devils ML (+100)
