Bet Devils vs Sabres in NHL Global Series 10/4
- New Jersey is favored in the first of two games against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague.
- Key defensemen have been ruled out of Friday’s game.
- Check the latest NHL odds and my predictions ahead!
The New Jersey Devils and the Buffalo Sabres get the 2024-25 NHL regular season going with a pair of games in the NHL Global Series in Prague. The Devils are listed by the NHL betting line as the favorite in Friday’s game.
The home team won all five meetings between the Sabres and the Devils during the 2023-24 season with only the first game being decided by one goal. New Jersey has won nine of the last 13 meetings against the Sabres with nine of the last 11 games going over the total.
The NHL spread has the Devils priced at -140 to win the season opener compared to +120 odds for the Sabres. The +170 odds for the Devils to cover the 1.5 puck line is worth considering.
When looking at the NHL futures odds, New Jersey (+1200) is tied for the fifth-shortest odds of winning the Stanley Cup while the perpetually rebuilding Buffalo Sabres are tied for 19th at +5000 in the championship odds.
NHL Global Series Information
- Matchup: Devils vs Sabres
- Date/Time: Friday, Oct. 4, 1 p.m. ET; Saturday, Oct. 5, 10 a.m. ET
- Location: O2 Arena, Prague, Czechia
- Devils vs Sabres Live Stream: NHL Network
Devils vs Sabres Odds and Puck Line
NHL Global Series Preview Betting Keys
Plenty of Homecoming Stories to Monitor
New Jersey veteran wingers Ondrej Palat and Tomas Tatar will be playing in their home country along with defensemen Simon Nemec and Jakub Zboril. Palat is priced at +400 to score a goal and he could be an option to consider in the NHL parlay picks. Tatar is at +500 to score a goal in Friday’s game.
Ondej Palat and Tomas Tatar head the media table Day 1 in Prague. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/F5Twh1NrWR
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) September 30, 2024
Palat is in his third season with the Devils after being part of Stanley Cup-winning teams with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tatar returns to New Jersey after playing for Colorado and Seattle a season ago. Nemec is one of the young stars that New Jersey is building the team around while Zboril last played in the NHL during the 2022-23 season.
Rookie Jiri Kulich will be returning home for the Sabres.
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Key Defensemen Ailing for Sabres, Devils
Both teams are dealing with injuries to key players. Defensemen Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce have been ruled out for the Devils while winger Erik Haula is day-to-day.
Buffalo defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who was recently named the Sabres captain, is day-to-day. Check NHL news for updates on their playing status.
How did the Sabres choose Rasmus Dahlin as their captain?
GM Kevyn Adams revealed more details on the process and reacted to next season’s projected salary-cap ceiling during my talk with him this morning in Prague:https://t.co/phFAsEkErm
— Lance Lysowski (@LLysowski) October 2, 2024
Bet on the NHL Global Series at BetUS Sportsbook!
Some Betting Numbers to Chew On
New Jersey ended the 2023-24 season by losing six of its last eight games against Eastern Conference teams while seven of the last 10 games for the Devils went over the total.
Six of Buffalo’s last nine games played in October went under the total. The total is at 6½ for Friday’s matchup.
For those considering the best NHL player prop bets, keep in mind that Jesper Bratt and Erik Haula each scored twice against the Sabres last season. Tage Thompson had five goals in the two games he played against the Devils. There are +160 odds for Thompson to have at least one goal in Friday’s game.
This will be the first regular-season game for new Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, whose time with the Toronto Maple Leafs ran out after a series of early playoff exits. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff should have a pretty good scouting report on the Devils considering that he spent the previous four seasons coaching the Devils before being fired late in the 2023-24 season. He previously spent 15 seasons coaching the Sabres and led Buffalo to eight playoff appearances.
Bet on Tage Thompson to score a goal (+160)
Odds and information are accurate at the time of writing. Please check with official sources for the latest updates before placing any bets.
Questions of the Day
Which team had a better puck line record during the 2023-24 season, the Sabres or the Devils?
Buffalo was 46-35 against the puck line. New Jersey’s mark of 30-52 was the worst in the NHL during the 2023-24 season.
Which player offers the best value to score a goal in Friday's game?
New Jersey defenseman Brenden Dillon is priced at +900 to be an anytime goal scorer in Friday’s season opener.