The New Jersey Devils will visit the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. The Devils have won two of their last three games, while the Rangers have won three straight contests.
In the NHL standings, the Devils are currently in first place in the Metropolitan Division, while the Rangers are sitting in fifth place in a very tight division race.
When looking at Tuesday night’s NHL schedule, this has the potential to be a very close game.
Continue reading as we go deeper into both NHL teams, look at the latest NHL injury report, and try to find the best Devils vs. Rangers picks.
New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers Preview
These two teams are battling for playoff position even though it is only December. Both teams have had solid starts to their seasons. As mentioned previously, we should be in for a one-sided NHL matchup!
Matchup Information
New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers Odds Breakdown
Before making your Devils vs. Rangers picks, an important step is to look at the NHL odds. Looking at the moneyline odds, the Devils come into the game as the favorite at -107. The Rangers check in at -103.
New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers Betting Preview
New Jersey Devils Preview
The New Jersey Devils come into play with a record of 21-5-1, good for 43 points and the top spot in the Metropolitan Division, seven points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes in the division standings.
The Devils have won two of their last three games to push their lead in the division to seven points.
In their last game, the Devils fell to the New York Islanders by the score of 6-4. They are averaging 3.70 goals per game, and their leading scorer is center Jack Hughes, who has 14 goals and 19 assists for 33 points.
Left winger Jesper Bratt leads the team with 20 assists to go along with ten goals for 30 points.
The Devils have three players with double-digit goal totals thus far this season. Between the pipes, goaltender Vitek Vanecek has a record of 12-2-1 with a goals-against average of 2.30 and a save percentage of .916.
New York Rangers Preview
The New York Rangers come into play with a record of 14-10-5, good for 33 points and fifth place in the Metropolitan Division, 10 points behind the Devils in the division standings.
The Rangers have won three straight games and have scored 13 goals in those three wins. Their last game was a 2-1 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche.
When making New York Ranger picks, or NHL picks in general, remember that the Rangers have won three straight games, and all three of those victories were against teams that are in the heat of the playoff race. New York is averaging 4.33 goals per game in that stretch.
The New York Rangers roster averages 3.03 goals per game while allowing just 2.79 goals per contest. They are outshooting their opponents 33-29 on average.
The Rangers are led offensively by left-winger Artemi Panarin, who has six goals and 28 assists for 34 points.
Looking at the NHL player stats, center Mika Zibanejad leads the team with 15 goals to go along with his 17 assists for 32 points.
The Rangers have two players with double-digit goal totals. Between the pipes, goaltender Igor Shesterkin has a record of 13-4-4 with a goals-against average of 2.50 and a save percentage of .917.
Fellow netminder Jaroslav Halak has started eight games and has a record of 1-6-1 with goals against an average of 3.04 and a save percentage of .888.
New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers Pick and Prediction
When handicapping this game, remember that these two teams are among the best in the entire league, and they play in one of the toughest divisions in all of the NHL.
Looking at the NHL injury report, both teams are relatively healthy, so it should make the game very competitive.
In the defensive end of the ice, the Devils are allowing just 2.33 goals per game. The Rangers have had issues scoring goals at times this season, so keep an eye on that particular statistic.
New York is allowing 2.79 goals per contest, so this looks to be a low-scoring affair.
When making Devils vs Rangers picks, look for the Devils to win a very close game, perhaps going to overtime and even a shootout in a low-scoring game.
Final Score Prediction: 3-2
Pick: New Jersey
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