The Prudential Center will be hosting an East-West showdown as the New Jersey Devils take the ice against the visiting Nashville Predators. Fox Sports Tennesse will showcase the matchup, and the opening face-off is at 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 25.
Nashville Predators vs. New Jersey Devils Odds
Nashville comes into the matchup as the favorite with a moneyline of -135. The line for New Jersey sits at +115 and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The line for betting the total stands at -105 for the over and -115 on the under.
Nashville is 7-2 straight up (SU) and has earned moneyline bettors 4.0 units this year. That SU win percentage, ranked first in the NHL so far in this young season, is an improvement compared to how the team performed during last year’s regular season (53-29). Four of its outings have gone over the total, while another four have gone under and just one has pushed. As an away team this season, the Preds are 4-0 SU.
Nashville has converted on 12.9 percent of its power play chances so far. That’s a fairly big drop-off from last year, when it was ranked 11th in the league by scoring on 21.2 percent of its extra-man chances. Its penalty kill has fallen off drastically year-over-year, as the team has gone from successfully defending 82.2 percent of opponents’ power plays (ranked sixth overall last year) to 73.1 percent this year.
Nashville, as a collective unit, has been penalized 3.7 times per game this season. Last year, that number was the highest mark in the league at 4.5 penalties per game. After serving an average of 10.9 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has had to kill penalties for just 8.3 minutes per outing this year.
Averaging 26.2 saves per game with a .929 save percentage, Pekka Rinne (4-1) has been the top option in goal for Nashville this season. If head coach Peter Laviolette chooses to rest him, however, the team might turn to Juuse Saros (4-1), who has a .919 save percentage and 2.37 goals against average this year.
Filip Forsberg and Viktor Arvidsson will both be relied on to facilitate things for the visiting Predators. Forsberg has 10 points on six goals and four assists this season while Arvidsson has six goals and three assists to his credit through the early stages of the regular season.
On the other side of the ice, New Jersey is 4-2 straight up (SU) and has earned 1.6 units for moneyline bettors this year. Three of its games have gone over the total, while another three have gone under and none have pushed. It’s 4-1 SU at home so far this year.
New Jersey has killed off an impressive 88.0 percent of all penalties, a few points better than the 81.2 percent the team recorded a year ago (when it was ranked 10th in the NHL). It’s found the net on 28.6 percent of its power plays this year after converting on 21.0 percent (ranked 14th in league) last season.
New Jersey players have been penalized 5.2 times per game this season, a number that has climbed noticeably from the 3.8 penalties per game given up last year. After serving an average of 9.1 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has had to stave off opponent power plays for 11.3 minutes per matchup this year.
Keith Kinkaid (24.0 saves per game) has been the primary option in goal for New Jersey. Kinkaid has four wins and two losses to his credit and has recorded a solid 1.85 goals against average and a .929 save percentage this year.
Taylor Hall (one goal, seven assists) and Kyle Palmieri (seven goals, one assists) will pace the attack for the Devils.
Nashville Predators vs. New Jersey Devils Betting Predictions
Pick: SU Winner – Devils, O/U – Over
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Notes
Betting Trends
The under has hit in three of New Jersey’s last five outings.
Nashville skaters recorded 21.0 hits per game last season, while the Devils logged 22.6 hits per contest.
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