NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Devils vs Hurricanes (Saturday, February 10)
(Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images) Pictured: Pyotr Kochetkov celebrates with Jordan Staal
Devils vs. Hurricanes Odds
| Devils Odds | +132 |
| Hurricanes Odds | -160 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -115 / -105 |
Here's everything you need to know about the New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, February 10 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Both teams will be playing their third game of the week and both are 1-1-0 since returning from the All-Star Break. Both have also notched impressive multi-goal home-ice victories over the Colorado Avalanche.
The Devils and Hurricanes are building a rivalry, but Carolina has held the upper hand thus far.
Don't expect that to change when the Devils touch down in Raleigh for the teams' second meeting of the year, Saturday at PNC Arena. Let's get to my pick for Devils vs. Hurricanes.
After the Devils came out of the All-Star Break with an impressive 5-3 win over Colorado on Tuesday, they fell to the Calgary Flames by the same score on Thursday. It was a rough return for Jack Hughes after 11 games out of the lineup with an upper-body injury. He was held pointless and finished the night at -3 in 20:24 of action.
It was also a rough night for starting netminder Vitek Vanecek, who gave up four goals on 29 shots. Despite a solid record of 17-9-2 for the year, he's sitting at a save percentage of .887 and a whopping -13.3 goals saved above expected.
The Devils put a big emphasis on defensive structure at their Friday practice, where the only lineup note was a maintenance day for Jesper Bratt.
New Jersey is a strong puck-possession team at 5-on-5 and ranks sixth in the league at 52.69%. The Devils still rank in the top 10 in scoring, but their power play has hit a rough patch and is 0-for-18 over the past seven games.
The Hurricanes dropped a 3-2 decision to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday before beating the Avalanche 5-2 on Thursday in a game was was a microcosm of Carolina' goalie carousel this season.
Pyotr Kochetkov got the start, but was pulled at the end of the first period as he gave up two goals in a span of five seconds late in the frame. Antti Raanta stepped in for the second and stopped all nine shots he faced, but the Canes went back to Kochetkov in the third after Raanta suffered an undisclosed injury.
Coach Rod Brind'Amour didn't have an update on Raanta at Friday's optional practice and didn't name a starter for Saturday. Spencer Martin is also still on Carolina's roster, so a call-up won't be needed if Raanta can't dress.
In other lineup news, defenseman Brett Pesce missed Thursday's game due to illness and Brind'Amour didn't say whether he'd be available against the Devils. Andrei Svechnikov practiced in a regular jersey on Friday. He has missed six games with an upper-body issue, but could be close to a return.
The Hurricanes have a reputation as a team that has trouble scoring, but it should be noted that they're now in the top 10 with 3.38 goals per game. Martin Necas is heating up and had a natural hat trick against the Avalanche. He also has seven goals in seven games since returning from an upper-body injury.
The Hurricanes are also a strong 5-on-5 puck possession team and sit third in the NHL at 55.47%.
Devils vs. Hurricanes
Betting Pick & Prediction
When these teams went head-to-head in the second round of the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Hurricanes easily came out on top and won the series in five games. Just a couple of weeks ago, Carolina also won the first matchup of this season, a 3-2 victory on home ice.
The Hurricanes have won four of their past five games and have scored at least one power-play goal in each of those games. They're also 17-of-19 on the penalty kill in their past six games.
The Devils may tighten up defensively after a tough practice on Friday, but Carolina isn't exactly leaving the door open for Hughes to start working his scoring magic. Look for the Canes to close out their homestand with a multi-goal win — most likely with Kochetkov between the pipes.
Pick: Hurricanes -1.5 (+160 at DraftKings) | Play to +140
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