Devils vs. Red Wings Odds, Picks, Predictions: Two Slumping Squads Meet in Detroit

Here's a look at the top NHL picks for Wednesday's matchup between the New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings.

Scott Cullen

Last Updated: January 4, 2023 7:06 AM EST • 4 minute read

The New Jersey Devils and Detroit Red Wings enjoyed some early season success but both teams have fallen on hard times recently. Read on for our best Devils vs. Red Wings pick based on top odds.

Inevitably, the New Jersey Devils have cooled off. After a stretch in which they won 21 of 24 games, the Devils have dropped nine of their past 11. New Jersey still sits in second place in the Metropolitan Division despite its recent slump, but challengers are closing in.

The Detroit Red Wings, meanwhile, have won three of their past four games but had lost six in a row and nine of 11 prior to their resurgence. That inconsistency has dropped Detroit to fifth in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Buffalo Sabres.

Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri is set to play his first game of the season after recovering from yet another torn ACL. The 26-year-old produced 17 goals and 30 points in 56 games last season before getting hurt.

Detroit winger Jakub Vrana cleared waivers Wednesday and will head to Grand Rapids of the American Hockey League. He will be joined there by goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic, who is a on a conditioning assignment.

Here is our best Devils vs. Red Wings NHL pick (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-to-5-star scale).

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Devils vs. Red Wings Game Info

Date: Wednesday, Jan. 4, 7 p.m. ET
TV: TNT
Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, MI

Devils vs. Red Wings Odds

Check out our complete list of NHL odds here!

Devils vs. Red Wings Odds Analysis

The consensus moneyline opened with the Devils as -145 favorites. That line moved quickly to -162, with 79% of the tickets and 95% of the money coming in on the visitors.

The consensus total opened at 6.5, at -115 for the Over and +104 for the Under. With 65% of the money on the Over, the consensus at Pregame.com sits at -110 for both the Over and the Under.

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Devils vs. Red Wings Pick

Devils-Red Wings Under 6.5 ⭐⭐⭐

Not only have the Devils been slumping lately, but they are no longer dominating possession the way they did early in the season.

The Devils rank 12th with 52.8% of five-on-five score-and-venue-adjusted expected goals since Dec. 1. That's respectable, but not approaching their 60% clip from earlier in the year.

The Devils rank 27th in goals for at 2.62 per 60 minutes since the beginning of December, with the Red Wings 25th at 2.88 goals per 60 minutes over that same span.

Neither team in this matchup is doing much damage on the power play, either. Detroit, with 6.43 goals per 60 minutes, ranks 24th in scoring rate during five-on-four play, while New Jersey, with 6.33 goals per 60 minutes, ranks 26th.

Detroit goaltender Ville Husso has struggled in his past four starts, surrendering 17 goals against. Yet, despite that slump, he is still putting up numbers that are better than average, including a .908 save percentage and 3.09 Goals Saved Above Expected.

Presumptive Devils starter Vitek Vanecek has been solid for the majority of the season, as well. He boasts a 13-5-2 mark with a 2.38 goals-against average (seventh-best in the NHL) and a .911 save percentage.

Slumping offenses and capable goaltending should steer this game toward the Under.

Devils vs. Red Wings Best Odds

DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, Caesars, PointsBet: Under 6.5 (-115)

DraftKings	FanDuel	BetMGM	Caesars	PointsBet
-115	-115	-115	-115	-115

Remarkably, the Under is set at 6.5, and was priced at -110 at each of the top sportsbooks early in the day. They have all sinced shifted to -115 for the Under.

There could be some fluctuation in that price, depending on goaltender news or anything on player availability, but barring something unexpected and dramatic, any further price moves should be very small.

Devils-Red Wings pick made 1/4/2023 at 11:30 a.m. ET.

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Written by:
Scott Cullen

Scott Cullen is SportsbookReview.com's Sports Betting Analyst and is one of the most well-known sports betting writers on the web. He wrote about fantasy sports for TSN for many years, and he has also written for The Athletic, NHL.com, The Hockey News, Monkey Knife Fight, and McKeen's Hockey. Born in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, Cullen was an Economics major at Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario and played for the Laurier Golden Hawks hockey team.