The Prudential Center will play host to a Metropolitan Division matchup as the New York Rangers square off against the New Jersey Devils. It’s the fourth and last time that the two clubs will go at it in the regular season. MSG2 will air the matchup, which gets underway at 7 p.m. ET on Tuesday, April 3.
New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils Odds
With a -230 moneyline, New Jersey comes into the contest as the noticeable favorite. The line for New York sits at +190, and the oddsmakers have set the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals (-120 money on the under, +100 on the over).
The Devils are 42-37 straight up (SU) and have earned 11.9 units for moneyline bettors this season. That early-season winning percentage is a surprising improvement over the 28-54 record from last year’s regular season campaign. Through 79 regular season outings, 40 of the team’s games have gone over the total, while 37 have gone under and just two have pushed. This season, the team is 21-18 SU at home.
New Jersey has converted on 20.8 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is rated 12th overall, and it’s successfully killed off 81.7 percent of all penalties.
As a team, New Jersey has been penalized 3.7 times per game overall this season, and 2.6 per game over its last five games at home. The team’s had to defend opponent power plays for just 7.3 minutes per game over its last 10 matchups, in total.
With a .909 save percentage and 28.0 saves per game, Cory Schneider (18-21-6) has been the primary option in goal for the Devils this year. If they decide to give him the evening off, however, head coach John Hynes might turn to Keith Kinkaid (24-15-15 record, .911 save percentage, 2.84 goals against average).
The Devils will continue seeking offensive production via Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier. Hall (89 points) has tallied 37 goals and 52 assists and has recorded multiple points 26 times this year. Hischier has 19 goals and 32 assists to his credit and has notched at least one point in 36 games.
New York is 34-45 straight up (SU) and has lost 9.8 units for moneyline bettors thus far. A total of 42 of its matches have gone over the total, while 33 have gone under and just four have pushed. New York’s 13-25 SU as a road team this season.
New York has converted on 21.4 percent of its power play chances this season, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked sixth overall and it’s successfully killed off 82.4 percent of all opponent power plays.
New York’s players have been penalized 3.5 times per game in total this season, 4.0 per game over their last five match ups total, and 3.4 per game over their last five road outings. The team’s been forced to kill penalties just 8.1 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Henrik Lundqvist (29.3 saves per game) has been the primary choice in the net for New York. Lundqvist owns a 26-35-7 record, and has registered a .916 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average this year.
For the visiting Rangers, the offense will run through Mats Zuccarello (16 goals, 36 assists) and Vladislav Namestnikov (22 goals, 26 assists).
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils Free Picks
Free Pick: SU Winner – Rangers, O/U – Over
Notes
Betting Notes
The over has hit in three of New Jersey’s last five games.
New York has managed 30.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while New Jersey is averaging 37.0 shots per game over its last five home outings.
Power plays and penalty kills may prove to be even more critical than usual in tonight’s matchup. The Rangers are 11-18 when they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 22-27 in games where they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total. The Devils are 12-21 when the team serves fewer penalty minutes than the opposition and 23-28 in games where they’re in the box for less than 10 minutes.
New York is 3-5 in games decided by a shootout this season while New Jersey is 5-4 in shootouts.
New Jersey is ranked 11th with 8.2 takeaways per game. That figure has trended higher recently, as it has created 8.9 takeaways over its last 10 games and 11.8 takeaways over its last five.
New York has averaged 9.0 takeaways per game over its last five road games, right in line with its season average of 8.9 takeaways per game (ranked third overall).
New Jersey may hold the upper hand if it’s a tight one late. The team’s 24-17 in games decided by one goal, while New York is 16-18 in such games.
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