The Ottawa Senators will face the New Jersey Devils on Saturday at the Prudential Center. It will be a battle in the Garden State as we continue our NHL odds series and make a Senators-Devils prediction and pick.
The Senators lead the head-to-head series 53-52. They are also 6-4 in the past 10 games against the Devils, including 4-1 in five games in New Jersey. Likewise, the Senators defeated the Devils 2-1 on January 17 in their last showdown at the Prudential Center.
Here are the Senators-Devils NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Senators-Devils Odds
Ottawa Senators: +1.5 (-265)
Moneyline: +100
New Jersey Devils: -1.5 (+110)
Moneyline: -120
Over: 5.5 (-106)
Under: 5.5 (-114)
How To Watch Senators vs. Devils
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN+ and MSGS
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Why the Senators Could Cover the Spread/Win
Brady Tkachuk has struggled recently, and an injury scare against the Toronto Maple Leafs last weekend provided some content to the possible reasons for the struggles. However, the Sens did not need him to beat the Devils earlier this season, and the offense did not do much in general.
The first period was scoreless. Then, the second period came along, and Zach Ostapchuk scored to make it 1-0 Senators. Tomas Tatar tied the game, which forced the Sens to score again, which they did in the third period, thanks to a goal by Artem Zub.
The Senators only managed 20 shots but scored twice. They also won only 47 percent of the faceoffs and went 0 for 3. Despite that, the Senators did enough. This offense needs more production from the first line, which includes Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle, and Claude Giroux. Dylan Cozens, Drake Batherson, and David Perron must also do enough to power the second line.
Anton Forsberg was the goalie then and made 25 saves while allowing one goal. However, Linus Ullmark will likely be the starting goalie in this one. The defense in this game leveled 18 hits and blocked 11 shots.
This game showed that the defense could play a tight game and not give the opposition many chances. They had to face Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt at the time. Now, they will only face Hischier and Bratt, as Hughes is out for the season and will not be a threat to the Senators.
The Senators will cover the spread if they get more production from their top two lines and generate more. Then, they need their defense to replicate their efforts and Ullmark to play another strong game.
Why the Devils Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Devils dominated the Senators in their first game, a 3-1 win in Ottawa. Overall, they destroyed the Sens in every way possible. Nothing happened in the first period as the teams felt their legs. Significantly, Erik Haula scored a few minutes into the second period to give the Devils the lead. Nathan Bastian delivered with a shorthanded goal to make it 2-0 Devils. Paul Cotter got the third goal to cement the scoring. Ironically, the Devils found ways to score without their top two lines.
The offense fired 35 shots on the net. Additionally, they won 48 percent of the faceoffs. The Devils also went 0 for 2 on the powerplay, managing all three of their goalies on even strength.
Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves and just lost out on a shutout. Also, their defense went 2 for 3 on the penalty kill, leveled 22 hits, and blocked 11 shots. But that defense had their best star at the time. Unfortunately, Dougie Hamilton is out for the season, and that remains a big blow for their defense.
The Devils will cover the spread if they can find some offense from all their lines and get the pucks past Ullmark. Then, they must defend the crease and not let Stutzle or Tkachuk take shots.
Final Senators-Devils Prediction & Pick
The Senators are 28-40 against the spread, while the Devils are 27-41 against the spread. Additionally, the Sens are 17-19 against the spread on the road, while the Devils are 14-18 against the spread at home. The Senators are 28-34-6 against the over/under, while the Devils are 26-40-2 against the over/under.
The Senators are pushing for the playoffs and likely will be in as the first wildcard, while the Devils will likely be the third team in the Metropolitan Division. While the teams might not meet in the playoffs, this will feel like a playoff game. I think the Senators have more urgency as they have lost two in a row. I also think they match up well against the Devils. Expect the Senators to find a way to cover the spread on the road.
Final Senators-Devils Prediction & Pick: Senators +1.5 (-265)
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