The New Jersey Devils (9-14-4) host the Chicago Blackhawks (11-12-5) Friday at Prudential Center. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. We analyze the Blackhawks-Devils sports betting odds and lines, while providing NHL betting tips and picks around this matchup.
Blackhawks at Devils: Projected starting goalies
Corey Crawford vs. MacKenzie Blackwood
Crawford gave up four goals on 30 shots in a loss to the St. Louis Blues Monday. He’s 5-7-2 on the season with a .909 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average.
Blackwood also gave up four goals in his most recent start, stopping 26 of 30 shots in a loss to the Vegas Golden Knights Tuesday. He’s 8-8-3 with a .896 SV% and 3.17 GAA.
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Blackhawks at Devils: Odds, picks and betting tips
Odds courtesy of BetMGM; access them at USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated 10:15 a.m. ET.
Prediction
Devils 3, Blackhawks 2
Moneyline (ML)
The Devils have lost three straight games while being outscored 15-4. The Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins 4-3 in overtime on the road Thursday, snapping a three-game losing skid of their own. The DEVILS (-133) are just 4-7-4 on home ice, but they’ve been off since Tuesday. The rest is a significant advantage against a Blackhawks team with a 4-5-3 road record.
The two teams are close by Corsi (percentage of total shot attempts) and scoring chances at 5-on-5, but the ‘Hawks have the edge in PDO (save percentage plus shooting percentage). Lean to the Devils, who look for their first win under interim head coach Alain Nasreddine.
Puck Line/Against the Spread (ATS)
The BLACKHAWKS (+1.5, -238) will keep this close, if not win outright. A $10 bet on the spread for the Blackhawks to either lose by a single goal or win straight up returns a profit of just $4.20, but it does hedge against the pick of the Devils on the moneyline.
The Blackhawks are 15-13 against the spread overall and 8-4 on the road. The Devils are 10-17 ATS overall and 5-10 at home. Seven of the Blackhawks’ 12 losses have been by just single goals.
Over/Under (O/U)
The safe play is the UNDER 6.5 (-143). Chicago went 4-6 against the Over/Under across its last 10 games, while New Jersey went 5-4-1 in the same span. It’s a shaky goaltending matchup, but both teams rank in the bottom third of the league in goals per game and combine for just 5.31.
Esten’s NHL betting record: 107-88
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