Devils Slightly Favored on Road
The New Jersey Devils are ever so slightly favored over the Vegas Golden Knights ahead of their date at the T-Mobile Arena on Friday night, as we look at the up-to-date betting online markets.
Both these teams are a sports betting fan favorite. They have been accruing points at a solid pace recently, and come into this highly anticipated interconference showdown on near identical form. Moreover, they are in the thick of the title races in their respective divisions – an ambition that puts an added premium on what is an already important win as the season winds down.
Also check on these NHL betting lines.
Devils Win Three in a Row
New Jersey is second in the Metropolitan Division behind a 40-15-5 mark and 85 points from 60 games. The Devils are a point behind the current division leaders, the Carolina Hurricanes (39-12-8), and six points ahead of the steadily advancing New York Rangers (35-17-9).
Recent form sees the Devils going 7-2-1 in their last 10 games and includes a three-game winning streak at the expense of the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche. What’s more, New Jersey is a stellar 22-4-3 on the road, which puts them among the winningest road teams in the league – second after the Boston Bruins (23-6-2), in fact.
The Devils are coming off a 12-goal extravaganza against the defending Stanley Cup champions in Colorado, a result that defied the NHL lines. New Jersey got on the front foot early. They took the 3-0 lead in the first 12 minutes of the game and stayed in front the rest of the way, despite the Avs’ best efforts.
Things did get a bit nervy at one point, when Colorado reduced a four-goal lead to just one goal with Mikko Rantanen, Nathan McKinnon and J.T. Compher all scoring in the space of two minutes. But Dawson Mercer responded late in the second period to give the New Jersey Devils the 6-4 lead.
Colorado would make a fist of it again in the third period, drawing to within one on the back of Valeri Nichushkin’s goal. But Nico Hischier’s empty-netter at 18:46 finally iced what was an otherwise absorbing, offensive contest between two legitimate playoff contenders.
We’re Ondrej board early. pic.twitter.com/MX0OAwhNrG
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 2, 2023
Golden Knights Back On Track
Vegas is first in the Pacific Division with a 36-19-6 record and 78 points from 61 games. They have two games in hand and are tied on points with the Los Angeles Kings (34-20-8) while holding a four-point edge over the Edmonton Oilers (33-21-8).
Recent form is a solid 7-1-2 from their last 10 games and includes a 3-2 win at home over the Carolina Hurricanes that snapped a two-game losing streak. On the heels of their recent win, the Golden Knights improved to 19-13-2 at T-Mobile Arena.
The Hurricanes gave the Golden Knights a run for their money, outshooting them 26 to 20 and leveling the score late in the third period. But the hosts won the key battles on the ice – they won the faceoff battle (32 to 25) and proved to be the more disciplined, crucially staying out of the penalty box. They outhit the Canes 29 to 24, defending zealously and, most important of all, they scored the winning goal with less than four minutes to go.
Devils vs Golden Knights Game Injuries
Devils vs Golden Knights Head-to-Head
New Jersey is 4-5-0 versus Vegas in the last 10 meetings, whereas the Golden Knights have fared slightly better behind a 5-2-2 mark. The total has gone 4-5-1 during this period.
The Devils won the last contest between this pair on Jan. 24, coming through as the -110 favorites at the sportsbook exchange with the narrow 3-2 win in New Jersey. It marked their second straight win over Vegas.
Reilly Smith jumps up and tallies Amadio’s backdoor feed to put Vegas ahead in the third!#VegasBorn pic.twitter.com/omFNDB4D7y
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights (@HockeyDaily365) March 2, 2023
Devils vs Golden Knights Game Information
- Game: Devils (40-15-5) vs Golden Knights (36-19-6)
- Location: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
- Day/Time: Friday, March 3 10:07 p.m. ET
- Devils vs Golden Knights Live Stream: NHL.TV
Devils vs Golden Knights Betting Lines
Devils vs Golden Knights Picks and Prediction
With the NHL odds delicately poised between this pair, the win is literally up for grabs.
The Golden Knights have a home-ice advantage. Plus, they’ll be buoyed by their return to winning form following the 3-2 victory over Carolina. The Devils can’t be underestimated, however. They are one of the best road teams in the league right now, and that makes them a solid bet here for NHL picks.
New Jersey is listed at -115 in our Vegas NHL lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Devils, there’s a chance to win $87. Vegas is -105, with a chance to win $95 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives New Jersey a 53.49% chance to win, with the Golden Knights at 51.22%.