Devils vs. Penguins Odds, Picks, Predictions: Can New Jersey End its Slump?
The slumping New Jersey Devils are in second place in the Atlantic Division, just two points ahead of the fourth-place Pittsburgh Penguins heading into Friday’s matchup in the Steel City.
The New Jersey Devils haven't just come back to earth – they're mired in quicksand.
Following a 20-game stretch during which they had a 18-1-1 record, the Devils have fallen on hard times, winning one of their past nine games. Only the Chicago Blackhawks have a lower points percentage than the Devils’ .167 mark over the past three weeks.
Could Friday's tilt at PPG Paints Arena mark an opportunity to turn things around? Pittsburgh has just one win in its past five contests, so it's not like the Penguins are in peak form, either.
Here is our best Devils vs. Penguins NHL pick (odds via FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).
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Devils vs. Penguins Game Info
Date: Friday, Dec. 30, 2022, 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+, Sportsnet, TVAS, ATTSN-PT, MSGSN
Location: PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Devils vs. Penguins Odds
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Devils vs. Penguins Odds Analysis
The consensus moneyline opened with the Penguins favored at -130 – and even though 85% of the money and two-thirds of the tickets have come in on Pittsburgh, the line has actually moved to Pittsburgh -118, with New Jersey at +107 for the upset.
The total opened at 6.5, at even money for the Over and -120 for the Under. Despite 63% of the money on the Over, that line has nevertheless shifted to O6 +110/U6 -121.
Devils vs. Penguins Pick
Devils ML ⭐⭐⭐
It's not easy to look at a team that has lost eight of its past nine games and find positives, but the Devils offer reasons for optimism.
For one thing, the Devils have hit a relatively difficult portion of their schedule, playing Boston, Carolina, and Dallas in four of their past seven games. The Bruins, Hurricanes and Stars are first, second, and fourth, respectively, in the overall standings.
The Devils have also put up solid underlying numbers over the past three weeks, controlling 52.4% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals. It's not at the level of dominance they displayed earlier in the season, but it still ranks 13th in the league.
New Jersey also owns the league’s best road record, with a 12-2-1 mark away from home.
While the Devils are down defensemen John Marino and Ryan Graves, the Penguins have key blue-line absences of their own – among them, Jeff Petry, Chad Ruhwedel, and Kris Letang.
These are two teams that are in a valley right now, with some added vulnerability due to injuries. For that reason, the underdog Devils at plus money hold more appeal.
Devils vs. Penguins Best Odds
FanDuel Sportsbook (+110)
| Pick | BetMGM | Caesars | DraftKings | FanDuel | PointsBet |
| Devils ML | +100 ❄️ | +105 | +105 | +110 🔥 | +105 |
There is a little variance in the pricing for a Devils upset on the moneyline. FanDuel comes in with a 10% advantage relative to BetMGM and that is enough of a difference to make the price shopping worthwhile.
I have the Devils as a very small favorite, so the FanDuel price is a worthwhile play, whereas even money at BetMGM does not offer much value.
Devils vs. Penguins pick made 12/30/2022 at 11:00 a.m. ET.
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