The New Jersey Devils and the Toronto Maple Leafs meet for a massive NHL showdown tonight, at the Prudential Center. With the Devils (-143) sitting as the home favorites and the over/under set at 6, we’re pretty confident that this matchup will bring plenty of excitement, featuring some of the hottest offensive firepower against defensive resilience.
The Devils are slightly favored by the sportsbooks. They’re coming off a 4-0 loss to the Avs, a game where their offensive punch seems to have taken a backseat for a game.
The good news for the Devils is that they’ve been stellar at bouncing back as they’ve won their last 6 games following a loss.
The Maple Leafs, on the other hand, have hit quite a slump as they’ve lost 4 of their last 5 against Metropolitan Division teams. This is going to be a tough matchup for them to break this streak.
Recent trends show that Toronto struggles in covering the puck line. This is particularly true against teams in strong form at home like the Devils.
Historically, though, Toronto has dominated at Prudential Center, winning their last 8 visits there.
This sets the stage for a great battle of momentum versus historical dominance. There’s a lot to look into, but we think we’ve got the best bet for your bet slip tonight.
New Jersey has relied on its high-powered offense. They rank 4th in goals scored, averaging over 3.5 per game. Overall, that’s not too bad.
With a lethal power play (32.6%, which is the absolute best in the league), they capitalize on opponents' penalties at least once per game.
Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier have been at the core of this team’s success. They’ve combined for 28 goals this season and we see no reason for them to slow down.
However, their defense is where they’re a bit more fragile — allowing 82 goals this season. This has left them vulnerable against strong counterattacks like the ones the Maple Leafs will bring.
Goaltender Jacob Markstrom has been solid but not what we’d call spectacular. He has a .907 save percentage and a 2.51 GAA. While respectable, these numbers leave room for us to doubt him, especially against an opportunistic Toronto attack.
The Maple Leafs come into this game reeling from back-to-back losses, including a 5-2 defeat to Pittsburgh. Before that, it was Washington with a score of 3-1. It seems both sides of the puck, the offense, and defense, are struggling.
Despite these setbacks, they boast defensive strength over the long run, ranking 4th in goals against with 71. Their penalty kill (82.3%, 8th in the NHL) will have to stay hot against New Jersey’s lethal power play.
Offensively, Toronto leans heavily on Mitch Marner and William Nylander. They have combined for 45 goals and assists which makes them one of the most dominant duos in the league.
However, injuries to key players like Jake McCabe and Max Domi have tested their depth.
Goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been a fairly bright spot in keeping pucks out of the goal, with a stellar .924 save percentage. If he can maintain this form tonight, Toronto has a solid chance of slowing down the Devils' high-octane attack.
Both teams are hungry for a bounce-back performance. However, we think the Devils have the edge.
New Jersey’s offensive dominance, particularly on the power play, is going to be a huge challenge for Toronto’s defense. While the Leafs have historically performed well at Prudential Center, their recent form — marked by some inconsistencies and struggles in puck-line situations — raises concerns that we just can’t see past.
Our best bet is on the Devil's moneyline (-143).
New Jersey's offensive depth, combined with Toronto's shaky recent results, tips the scales in favor of the home team in this Tuesday night matchup.
For those eyeing the over/under, we think you should lean toward the OVER 6 goals, given the firepower on both sides and their propensity for high-scoring games.
We definitely expect the Devils to come out with the win, likely in a close contest with a final score of 4-3.