The New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils meet in a pivotal Game 5 in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on Thursday. The series is tied 2-2. Puck drop from Prudential Center is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN2). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Rangers vs. Devils odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Rangers opened the series with 5 goals in both Games 1 and 2 in Newark, but they had a power outage at home. New York managed just 1 goal each in Games 3 and 4.
The Devils flipped the script, after managing just 1 goal each in Games 1 and 2, both home losses. It managed 5 goals in a pair of road victories in Games 3 and 4.
The road team and the underdog is 4-0 in this series so far, with the Over going 2-0 in both games in Newark, while the Under cashed in each of the games in Manhattan.
The Rangers have won 4 of the last 5 games on the road, while going 5-2 in the last 7 conference quarterfinals games. The Devils have cashed in 5 of the last 7 at home, while going 5-1 in the last 6 games playing on 2 days of rest.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3011″ ]
[gambcom-standard rankid=”3012″ ]
Rangers 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 7:19 a.m. ET.
- Moneyline (ML): Rangers +100 (bet $100 to win $100) | Devils -120 (bet $120 to win $100)
- Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Rangers +1.5 (-275) | Devils -1.5 (+220)
- Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: +100 | U: -120)
Stream the NHL all season on ESPN+, with your team’s out-of-market games, exclusive games, originals and more. Get ESPN+ now!
Rangers at Devils projected goalies
Igor Shesterkin (37-13-8, 2.48 GAA, .916 SV%, 3 SO – regular season) vs. Akira Schmid (9-5-2, 2.13 GAA, .922 SV%, 1 SO – regular season)
Shesterkin has been on fire in this series, and he probably deserved to win either Game 3 or 4. He allowed just 4 goals on 50 shots in the 2 games on home ice, but he received a total of just 2 goals of offensive support. He is 2-2-0 with a 1.44 GAA and .941 SV% in 4 games in this series.
Schmid was inserted into the lineup in Game 3 in place of Vitek Vanecek, and coach Lindy Ruff’s move paid off. Schmid is 2-0-0 with a 0.91 GAA and .966 SV% in his 2 starts so far.
Play our free daily Pick’em Challenge and win! Play now!
Rangers at Devils picks and predictions
Prediction
Rangers 4, Devils 2
Moneyline
The RANGERS (+100) are worth a look in Game 5 on the road. The visitors have won each of the 1st 4 meetings in this playoff series, so why stop now?
The Rangers are also 8-3 in the last 11 trips across the Hudson River to Newark, as they have really made themselves at home at Prudential Center. New York has won 5 of the last 7 games in the conference quarterfinals, too.
Puck line/Against the spread
The Rangers +1.5 (-275) will cost you nearly 3 times your potential return, and that’s just way too risky with very little reward. Even in a multi-team parlay, including the Rangers sucks all of the value out of your ticket.
PASS.
Over/Under
The OVER 5.5 (+100) is the lean, as the Over connected in each of the 1st 2 games in this series in Newark.
The Under has dominated for the Rangers overall, but the Over is 9-2 in the last 11 conference quarterfinals games. The Over is also 22-8-1 in the last 31 meetings in this series, while going 17-6-3 in the last 26 meetings in Newark.
[gambcom-standard rankid=”5″ ]
For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.
Follow Kevin J. Erickson on Twitter. Follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
[lawrence-newsletter]
[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1369]