Senators vs Devils Prediction | NHL Odds & Preview (March 23)
Pictured: Andrew Mordzynski/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images. New Jersey Devils left wing Ondrej Palat
Senators vs Devils Odds
| Senators Odds | +125 |
| Devils Odds | -150 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -115 / -105 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Senators vs Devils on Saturday, March 23 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Senators vs Devils odds have the Devils as -150 favorites on the moneyline with an over/under set at 6.5 total goals.
Tonight, the Senators head to Prudential Center to take on the Devils. This marks the second of three meetings between these clubs this season. When they first met in late December, the Devils emerged with a 6-2 victory.
While tonight’s matchup offers little in the way of playoff implications, there is reason to expect another entertaining, high-event battle between two teams scoring more than three goals per game.
Let's dig into the NHL odds and make a Senators vs Devils prediction.
It’s been a strange season for the Senators. Ottawa showed some life in late January with a 6-1-2 run, but the team hasn’t found much success since. The Senators are 3-6-1 over their past 10 games and haven’t won in regulation since Feb. 22.
Ottawa’s recent underlying numbers paint a bit of a different picture, though. Over the past 10 games, the Senators’ 2.63 xGF/60 at 5-on-5 ranks 10th in the NHL, and their 2.52 xGA/60 at 5-on-5 ranks 16th.
With a 5-on-5 xGF% of 51.08, Ottawa doesn’t profile as a team that has been getting caved in at even strength in the way that their record would suggest.
However, goaltending continues to plague the Senators. Their two netminders — Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg — rank in the bottom five in GSAx among goalies with at least 10 starts. Forsberg’s -9.9 mark is the fifth-worst in the NHL, while Korpisalo’s -19.4 tally is the league's worst
Goaltending aside, the Senators have been rather unlucky on the offensive end of late, too. They're shooting 6.42% in all situations over their past 10 games, which ranks second-worst in the NHL.
While the play between the pipes remains a wild card, Ottawa is due for some positive regression on offense.
It’s been a mixed bag for the Devils in the nine games since coach Lindy Ruff was fired.
New Jersey is 4-5-0 under Travis Green, but the Devils enter Saturday having won consecutive games for the first time since mid-February. In terms of the playoff race, it’ll likely be too little too late for the Devils, yet they are still technically in the hunt.
Over New Jersey’s past nine games, the team has continued to generate offense at an impressive clip, as the Devils’ 2.72 xGF/60 at 5-on-5 is sixth-best in the NHL.
Their defensive-zone play continues to be an issue, though, and their 2.69 xGA/60 at 5-on-5 ranks 23rd. However, New Jersey has done a good job of limiting high-danger chances; the Devils’ 55.26 HDCF% ranks seventh in the NHL.
The key for the Devils going forward will be goaltending. Jake Allen — who is set to make his fourth straight start on Saturday — appears to have stabilized the situation since being acquired by New Jersey ahead of the trade deadline. In four games with the Devils, Allen is 3-1-0 with a 1.76 GAA and a .946 SV%.
The best North Carolina sports betting apps are now live! Learn more and register for the best bonus offers.
Senators vs. Devils
Betting Pick & Prediction
At the end of the day, this is a matchup between two somewhat similar teams that attack better than they defend.
And while Allen has played well of late for the Devils, neither team boasts an elite goaltender. As a result, I'm expecting a back-and-forth, wide-open affair.
With nine goals across their last two games, New Jersey's offense has begun to heat up, and Ottawa has surrendered at least five goals in each of its past three games. Additionally, the Senators are due for a scoring uptick and should be able to generate enough chances against a Devils squad that is still allowing the seventh-most goals per game this season.
Pick: Over 6.5 (-115 at bet365) | Play to -120
How would you rate this article?
Follow Us On Social
