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The New York Rangers (5-2-0) and New Jersey Devils (2-2-0) will meet in the NHL tonight. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The game will broadcast live on ESPN+.
The Devils are favored at -142 on the moneyline, with the Rangers +118 to pull off the upset. The over/under is set at 6.5 (112o/-138u).
Let's get into our Rangers vs. Devils predictions and NHL picks.
Rangers vs. Devils Prediction
- Pick: New Jersey Devils Moneyline -142 (FanDuel, Play to -147)
Our New York vs. New Jersey best bet is for the Devils to win, with the best odds currently available at FanDuel. For all of your NHL bets, be sure to find the best lines by using our live NHL odds page.
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Rangers vs Devils Odds
- Rangers vs. Devils puck line: Rangers +1.5 (-215), Devils -1.5 (+172)
- Rangers vs. Devils over/under: 6.5 (112o/-138u)
- Rangers vs. Devils moneyline: Rangers +118, Devils -142
- Rangers vs. Devils best bet: Devils Moneyline (-142)
Rangers vs. Devils Preview
New York Rangers
After an offseason marked by surprisingly aggressive win-now moves, the Rangers have come out of the gates strong, posting an excellent 6-2-0 record while seeing several key players for the future get off to impressive starts. That promising start makes Igor Shesterkin’s season-ending knee injury all the more devastating, though Dylan Garand has been excellent thus far.
Garand has posted a +3.3 GSAx and a .951 save percentage throughout four starts (and one brief relief appearance in the game Shesterkin was injured). He was an underrated option entering the year, and is certainly still unproven. Still, Garand is set to face a massive workload for the foreseeable future with Joonas Korpisalo also on IR.
2026 Fifth-overall pick Alberts Smits is already making an impact at the NHL level, displaying a higher hockey I.Q. than many gave him credit for entering the draft — adding to his impressive size and strong skating ability. Adam Fox has also been excellent, while the revamped second pair of Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson has persevered respectably in tough usage.
The Rangers' special teams play has been good, but they have still been outplayed at even strength and are reliant on elite goaltending to find success. Shesterkin and Garand have posted a combined .940 save percentage, a concern given how unlikely it is that Garand will continue to be this dominant.
New Jersey Devils
Despite the offseason changes made by new GM Sunny Mehta, the Devils have exhibited many of the same concerns as we have seen throughout Sheldon Keefe's tenure as head coach thus far. The team holds a dominant 60.1% expected goal share at even strength and generated a league-leading 34.68 shots per 60, but holds the second lowest PDO (save percentage plus shooting percentage) in the league.
On paper the Devils roster looks quite excellent and — so long as they have better luck with injuries — is a natural candidate for better results moving forward. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier offer an excellent 1-2 punch at the critical center ice position, while the additions of Anthony Mantha, Luke Evangelista and Evan Rodrigues should help alleviate the lack of depth scoring we saw throughout the previous two seasons.
Perhaps the most meaningful concern moving forward has been the play of Jake Allen in goal. Allen was quietly excellent last season posting a +6.3 GSAx, which is surely part of the reason Mehta felt comfortable starting the year with Allen as the top option. But he's far from a lock to replicate those results, and the early returns have not been good.
Rangers vs Devils Best Bet:
The Rangers were a team that felt underrated to me entering the season, and they deserve plenty of credit for their surprisingly strong start and the way they have handled Shesterkin's absence. But their even strength play has been a concern thus far, and the Devils should be able to control much of the play in this matchup, forcing Garand to offer another excellent performance in order for the team to find success.
While the early results may not make the Devils an overly positive pick at -142, I actually believe that is a pretty strong number to target New Jersey to earn an important win on home ice in this matchup, and would bet it down to -147.
Best Bet: New Jersey Devils Moneyline -142 (Play to -147)
