Devils-Avalanche prediction, odds, pick, how to watch
It's an East vs. West battle and a possible Stanley Cup Finals preview. Let's look at a Devils-Avalanche prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The first of two meetings between two of the NHL's best teams takes place on Tuesday Night. It is time to continue our NHL odds series with a Devils-Avalanche prediction, pick, and how-to-watch.
The Devils have their final game of a four-game road trip against the Avalanche. The Devils beat the Minnesota Wild 5-3 to begin before splitting the last two games with a loss to the St.Louis Blues and a victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. They are 4-1-0 on the road this season and 7-3-1 overall. Miraculously, they have been able to continue their winning ways, being without their top two centremen. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier have upper-body injuries that have kept them out of the lineup. Hughes is expected to be out for another few weeks, but Hischier is nearing a return. Hughes was the team leader in points with 20 before his injury, but Tyler Toffoli and Jesper Bratt have been pacing the offense with seven goals each.
The Avalanche had a big test on Saturday night against their rival Vegas Golden Knights but failed it terribly, dropping the contest 7-0. They started the season on a six-game win streak but are 1-3 over their last four games. This game is the first of a three-game home stand for the team, looking to get back on track after some bumps in the road. The Avs have a well-balanced offensive attack, with every player who appeared in at least half the games having a point. Mikko Rantanen leads the team with six goals and 14 points. They aren't just an offensive team, as they rank third in the league on the penalty kill.
Here are the NHL Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Avalanche Odds
New Jersey Devils: +1.5 (-160) ML +150
Colorado Avalanche: -1.5 (+132) ML -182
Over: 6.5 (+100)
Under: 6.5 (-122)
How to Watch Devils vs. Avalanche
Time: 10 PM ET/7 PM PT
TV: TNT
Why The Devils Will Cover The Spread/Win
On paper, it's tough to see how the Devils can match up with the Avalanche with Hughes and Hischier out of the lineup. Their victories in Hughes' absence have been against the lower half of the league, making this their first real test. The Devils have success against the Avalanche in the not-so-distant past, winning both games against them last season. Early in the season, they shut down the Avalanche's offensive attack and managed a 1-0 victory. Then, later in the season, they went toe-to-toe and won 7-5. The Devils don't have enough offense to outscore the Avalanche tonight, so they will need a stellar defensive effort to steal a win.
Why The Avalanche Will Cover The Spread/Win
The Avalanche are a well-balanced team, ranking in the top ten in the league in goals for and goals against. They also have the third-best penalty kill. The Devils have the best powerplay by a wide margin but don't have nearly the same firepower with Jack Hughes out of the lineup. This special teams matchup may be a bit deceiving, as people look at the numbers and think Colorado has their work cut out for them, but they should be able to handle the remainder of the Devils unit with ease.
The Avalanche's goaltending tandem is more than capable of shutting down what's left of the Devils' offensive attack. It's been a rough stretch for the Avalanche, being shutout in three of the last four games. The 7-0 loss to Vegas was rock-bottom for Alexandar Georgiev and the Avs, but this spot is the perfect place to bounce back for the goalie. If the team opts to start backup Ivan Prosvetov, he has had a hot start to the season, earning a 1-0-0 record with a .088 goals against average and .970 save percentage.
This spot in the schedule also falls in the favor of the Avalanche. They will be happy to get back home for an extended period with a three-game home stand. They are 3-0-0 at home this season and have had one of the best home-ice advantages in the league over the past five seasons. The Devils are on the final game of their four-game road trip, which has undoubtedly taken a toll on the team. They are 2-1-0 on the trip but have been pushed to the limit to earn the victories without their top-two centremen. Every team shows up to win, but it feels like a night where the Devils may be happy to get back to Newark with a .500 record on the trip.
Final Devils-Avalanche Prediction & Pick
Anything can happen in the NHL, but something is to be said for the Devils' road trip angle. One thing NHL bettors will learn is to expect the unexpected, but some spots are too good to ignore. There's a good chance the Devils will go through the motions tonight as they look forward to getting home. The Avalanche are also itching to redeem themselves after their 7-0 loss to the Golden Knights. They return home where they are 3-0-0 this season.
The Avalanche are led by Nathan Mackinnon, their emotional leader, at times in a harsh way. “Three out of four games have been really poor for us,” MacKinnon said after the 7-0 loss. “Tough effort. It starts with our top players. We're not getting the job done, and we need to play better.” Mackinnon will have the motivation tonight to propel the Avalanche in the right direction. As we have seen countless times before, as Mackinnon goes, so does the rest of the team. The Devils will go up against an inspired offensive attack tonight and may not have much left in the tank to combat it.
Both Devils goalies have a goals-against average above 3.00. They have been struggling to keep the puck out of the net. The Avalanche have been struggling to score, but they average over 34 shots per game. If they fire a lot of rubber on the Devils' net tonight, they will put up a crooked number. The margin of victory tonight may be a lot if the Avalanche want to avenge their most recent loss. The best bet for the game will be for the Avalanche to cover the spread.
Final Devils-Avalanche Prediction & Pick: Avalanche -1.5 (+132)
