A pair of clubs that have underperformed this year, the New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils clash at the Prudential Center. The first puck will drop at 7 p.m. ET on Monday, April 1, and you will be able to view this Metro Division matchup live on MSG Network.
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils Odds
New Jersey (-125) is being chosen as the favorite over New York (+105), and the oddsmakers have put the Over/Under (O/U) at 6 goals. The odds for betting the total stand at -125 over, +105 under.
New York is 31-47 straight up (SU) and has lost 6.5 units for moneyline bettors thus far. 38 of its outings have gone over the total, while 35 have gone under and just four have pushed. As the road team in 2018-19, the Broadway Blueshirts are 13-26 SU.
New York has converted on 19.4 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a mark that’s right around league average. Its penalty kill is ranked 27th overall, and it has successfully killed off only 77.9 percent of all penalties.
For the team as a whole, New York has been penalized 4.0 times per game this season, 3.6 per game over its past five games total, and 4.6 per game over its last five on the road. The team has been forced to defend opponent power plays just 7.6 minutes per game over their last five outings.
Averaging 29.5 saves per game with a .907 save percentage, Henrik Lundqvist (18-32-10) has been the top option in goal for New York this season. If it chooses to give him a rest, however, New York may turn to Alexandar Georgiev (13-18-3), who has a .912 save percentage and 2.95 goals against average this year.
The visiting Rangers have relied heavily on Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider this season. Zibanejad has 72 points on 30 goals and 42 assists, and has recorded multiple points in 20 different games. Kreider has 27 goals and 24 assists to his credit (and has notched a point in 35 games).
Over on the other bench, New Jersey is 29-50 straight up (SU) and has lost 16.9 units for moneyline bettors this year. Through 79 regular season matches, 38 of its games have gone over the total, while another 38 have gone under and just three have pushed. It’s 19-21 SU at home this year.
New Jersey has converted on 17.7 percent of its power play chances this year, a mark that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked fourth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 84.7 percent of all penalties.
The Devils have been penalized 3.8 times per game this season, and 2.2 per game over their last five at home. The team has had to kill penalties just 5.9 minutes per game over their last 10 outings.
Keith Kinkaid has denied 25.8 shots per game as the top option in goal for New Jersey. Kinkaid has 16 wins, 25 losses, and six overtime losses to his credit and has recorded a pedestrian 3.36 goals against average and a fairly-weak .891 save percentage this season.
Kyle Palmieri (27 goals, 23 assists) will lead the offensive attack for the Devils.
New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils Free Picks
Prediction: SU Winner – Rangers, O/U – Under
Betting Trends
- Two of New Jersey’s last ten games have ended in a shootout. The team is 2-0 in those games and 3-4 overall in shootouts this year.
- The under has hit in four of New Jersey’s last five games.
- Over New York’s last ten games, seven of them have been decided by two or more goals (the team is 2-5 in those games).
- New York skaters have dished out the sixth-most hits in the league (25.8 per game), but that number’s down to just 19.4 hits over their last five away games.
