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The Detroit Red Wings and New Jersey Devils open their NHL seasons Thursday night in Newark. The opening puck drop at the Prudential Center is slated for 7:30 p.m. ET. Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s (OR FanDuel Sportsbook’s) lines around the Red Wings vs. Devils odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
Look for the Red Wings to be an improved team coming off their 80-point campaign (7th-place finish in the Atlantic Division) a year ago. Lots of new faces — including LW J.T. Compher, who has 52 points for the Colorado Avalanche last season, and former 40-goal scorer RW Alex DeBrincat — join a core that has been rebuilding and seems on the verge of competing.
The Devils surprised everyone when they broke out with a franchise record in points (112) and wins (52) in 2022-23. But New Jersey was young and it showed in a 2nd-round exit from the Stanley Cup playoffs. As the Devils look to build on last season’s success, they do so perhaps having holes to fill on the blue line and with a goaltending tandem that has much to prove.
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Red Wings at Devils odds
Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 9:04 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline: Red Wings +200 (bet $100 to win $200) | Devils -250 (bet $250 to win $100)
- Against the spread (ATS): Red Wings +1.5 (-120) | Devils -1.5 (+100)
- Over/Under (O/U): 6.5 (O: -105 | U: -115)
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Red Wings at Devils projected goalies
Ville Husso (2022-23: 26-22-7, 3.11 GAA, .896 SV%) vs. Vitek Vanecek (2022-23: 33-11-4, 2.45 GAA, .911 SV%)
The now-28-year-old logged a career-high 56 starts last season. Albeit over just 3 years, Husso has a history of fast starts and late-season fades. He notched a .926 SV% last October.
Vanecek started 3 games against Detroit last season. He allowed 7 even-strength goals (8 overall) while posting an .896 SV%. The Devils netminder clocked a .937 SV% over 54 preseason minutes.
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Red Wings at Devils picks and predictions
Prediction
Devils 5, Red Wings 3
Moneyline
No interest here. A close game with plenty of gray-area variables and a match-up better set for O/U betting.
PASS.
Puck line/Against the spread
Detroit has a lot of new pieces coming together, and a slow start, especially on the road, would not be a big surprise.
The host Devils -1.5 would be attractive — perhaps as a partial-unit play — if the tag got to +105.
Otherwise, PASS.
Over/Under
The total has gone Over in 6 of New Jersey’s last 8 games at home. The Over has also cashed in 3 of the last 4 meetings between these clubs.
This is not a top-flight goaltending match-up. On opening nights, look for more mistakes out of new line combos and potentially more odd-man rushes.
Add to that the speed the Devils tend to display, and, if system wins out and the new talent can produce, a strong powerplay for the visiting side.
BACK THE OVER 6.5 (-105).
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