Florida Holds Edge on Odds Board
Saturday’s NHL betting menu features two teams jockeying for playoff positioning down the stretch. The New Jersey Devils are in better shape than the Florida Panthers, who’ve had a bit of a topsy-turvy run and currently sit outside of the playoff frame in the Eastern Conference standings. But with more than a dozen games left on the NHL schedule, there’s all to play for yet.
Indeed, the NHL odds are tighter than an accountant’s fist. Regardless of where the Devils’ stand in the league, this Panthers team is the same one (more or less) that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season. Thus, expect both sides to be up for this game and the battle for the two precious points.
Devil is in the Detail
New Jersey is riding high in the Metropolitan Division, nipping at the Carolina Hurricanes’ heels with a 44-17-7 record and 95 points from 68 games. Only a point separates these divisional rivals in the race for the title, but the Hurricanes have two games in hand (at the time of writing).
The Devils dropped precious points this week in back-to-back home games versus the Tampa Bay Lightning. First, they lost 4-1 on Tuesday. Then, 4-3 in a shootout on Thursday night. It was a costly dip in form that saw New Jersey slip to a 6-2-2 record in its last 10 games. Separately, the Devils are 5-0-1 in their last six games on the road.
Tomas Tatar opened the scoring for New Jersey in the second period while Timo Meier led the Devils with two goals on the night, including the tying goal in the third period that sent the game into overtime. Unfortunately, Meier’s attempt in the shootout was thwarted by Andrei Vasilevskiy. Yegor Sharangovich provided New Jersey’s lone goal in the 2-1 shootout loss.
YOU’VE GOT TO BE KIDDING 🤯 pic.twitter.com/fZEahuLQmD
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) March 17, 2023
Panthers Offense On Fire
Florida is 34-27-7 with 75 points from 68 games played. As things currently stand, the Panthers are fourth overall in the Atlantic Division and 13 points adrift of third-place Tampa Bay Lightning. More importantly, they find themselves just outside of the playoff frame, three points adrift of the New York Islanders, who currently sit in the second wild card spot. Florida has two games in hand.
The Panthers are riding a five-game point streak behind four wins and an overtime loss. This positive run of form sets them up on a 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games, which includes a solid 5-2-1 record at the FLA Live Arena.
The Panthers are wrapping up a seven-game homestay on Saturday. They recently bounced back from a 5-4 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets by decimating the Montreal Canadiens in a 14-goal thriller on Thursday night.
Carter Verhaeghe and Aaron Ekblad scored twice while Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and three assists. Gustav Forsling, Ryan Lomberg and Sam Reinhert all had a goal apiece.
cats fans how are we feeling rn pic.twitter.com/QZWbxZQ7Tx
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 17, 2023
Devils vs Panthers Game Injuries
Devils vs Panthers Head-to-Head
New Jersey is 4-4-2 versus Florida in the last 10 games, whereas the Panthers are 6-3-1 during the same span. Separately, the total has cashed on the over in six of these 10 games at the sportsbook exchange.
The Devils own the most recent victory, taking the 4-2 decision in Florida on Dec. 21. But the Panthers won the first meeting this season, beating the Devils 4-2 in New Jersey on Dec. 17.
This is the third and final meeting between this pair in the regular season and with both sides winning on the road in the previous two contests, oddsmakers have rolled out tight NHL lines for Saturday’s much-anticipated Eastern Conference showdown.
Devils vs Panthers Game Information
- Game: Devils (44-17-7) vs Panthers (34-27-7)
- Location: FLA Live Arena
- Day/Time: Saturday, March 18, 6:07 p.m. ET
- Devils vs Panthers Live Stream: NHL.TV
Devils vs Panthers Betting Lines
Devils vs Panthers Picks and Prediction
The Panthers will be buoyed by Thursday’s 9-5 win over the Canadiens, but the Devils represent a significant step up in competition for them. New Jersey’s back-to-back disappointment against the Lightning aside, the Devils are having a stellar season. They’re confident, on good form and incentivized in the challenge for the Metropolitan Division title.
All told, winning this game is a big ask for both camps and that makes it a toss-up for NHL picks. Florida is probably the smart bet with home advantage and a better H2H record underscoring their odds. But the Devils are the value bet as they ride a six-game point streak on the road into this contest.
Florida is listed at-115 in our Vegas lines. So, if you wager $100 on the Panthers, there’s a chance to win $87. New Jersey is -105, with a chance to win $105 on a $100 wager.
The implied probability attached to the betting lines gives Florida a 53.49% chance to win, with the Devils at 51.22%.
Devils vs Panthers Trends
Devils vs Panthers Edge
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Devils vs Panthers Game Summary
