The New Jersey Devils will face the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden this Thursday. It’s time for the Hudson River Rivalry as we share our NHL odds series and make a Devils-Rangers prediction and pick.
The Rangers have gone 52-48 in the past 100 games against the Devils. However, the Devils have blown out the Rangers twice this season, winning 5-1 at Madison Square Garden on December 2 and 5-0 on December 23 at the Prudential Center. This season, the series has featured brawls and the scratching of Chris Kreider. Yet, the common factor has been the Rangers’ struggles against the Devils.
Here are the Devils-Rangers NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Rangers Odds
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (+138)
Moneyline: -182
New York Rangers: +1.5 (-170)
Moneyline: +150
Over: 6.5 (+112)
Under: 6.5 (-138)
How To Watch Devils vs Rangers
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN+ and MSG
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Why the Devils Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Devils remain near the top of the power rankings as they continue to play well consistently. Amazingly, they finished off another win this past Monday when they outlasted the Seattle Kraken 3-2.
This offense continues to play well, and Jesper Bratt has been exceptional, with 14 goals and 34 assists, including four powerplay markers. Meanwhile, Jack Hughes has tallied 15 goals and 33 assists, including five powerplay conversions. Hughes has struggled on the powerplay, winning just 170 draws and losing 274. Despite that, he has still been exceptional all over the ice and is one of the key players of this offense. Nico Hischier has been solid, with 19 goals and 17 assists, including six powerplay tallies. Likewise, he has been great in the faceoff circle, winning 575 draws and losing 459.
These three represent a team that is seventh in goals and 10th in assists. While they have been scoring, their shooting has been down, as they rank 18th in shooting percentage. But the Devils are lethal on the powerplay, which was the main reason they have blown out the Rangers twice, going 5 for 8 on the extra-man attack over two games.
Jacob Markstrom will likely be in the net and is 20-8-2 with a 2.17 goals-against average and a save percentage of .911. He will play behind a defense that is seventh in goals against. Also, they have been solid at killing penalties, ranking sixth on the penalty kill.
The Devils will cover the spread if they continue to get chances on the extra-man attack and convert on powerplay opportunities. Then, they must contain Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox.
Why the Rangers Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Rangers placed Kreider on the injured list, highlighting another disappointment in a season filled with them. Unfortunately, nothing has gone right for the Rangers this season, and two blowout losses to the Devils have showcased how bad things have gone. But the Rangers still have a lot of talent, especially for a team that won the President’s Trophy last season.
Panarin is still having a good season amidst the turmoil, tallying 16 goals and 27 assists, including five powerplay tallies. Meanwhile, Fox is doing well, with one goal and 30 assists. The Rangers need more out of Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad. So far, Trocheck has 13 goals and 14 assists, including three powerplay markers, while Zibanejad has eight goals and 17 assists, including two powerplay tallies.
The Rangers need better performance from the third and fourth lines. Ultimately, they will need Filip Chytil, Will Cuylle and others on the bottom two lines to prevent the Devils from creating scoring chances while adding some of their own.
This offense is currently 20th in goals and 21st in assists. Furthermore, they are 26th in shooting percentage. The Rangers have also struggled on the extra-man attack, ranking 26th on the powerplay.
Jonathan Quick will likely make the start and is 6-5-1 with a 2.98 goals-against average and a save percentage of .900. He will play behind a struggling defense that is 19th in goals against and ninth on the penalty kill.
The Rangers will cover the spread if their offense springs to life and takes the early lead. Then, they must avoid taking penalties, as the Devils have burned them on multiple occasions this season.
Final Devils-Rangers Prediction & Pick
The Devils are 18-23 against the spread, while the Rangers are 14-26 against the odds. Moreover, the Devils are 8-13 against the spread on the road, while the Rangers are 5-14 against the odds at home. The Devils are 14-25-2 against the over/under, while the Rangers are 19-20-1 against the over/under.
The Devils have blown out the Rangers twice this season, and the issues in New York aren’t ending anytime soon. Therefore, I have the Devils going into Madison Square Garden and covering the spread again.
Final Devils-Rangers Prediction & Pick: Devils -1.5 (+138)
The post Devils vs. Rangers prediction, odds, pick – 1/9/2025 appeared first on ClutchPoints.
