Point totals have been released for all NHL teams, and it’s no surprise the New Jersey Devils aren’t one of the highest teams on the list. The sportsbooks have them sitting at 90 1/2 total points. The simple way to explain it is if the Devils get 91 points or above in the standings, then the bettor who put money on the “over” will win the bet. If the Devils fall to 90 points or below, the “over” bet will lose.
Last season, the Devils were sitting around 54 1/2 on the over/under. That was just under a point per game, which is the same place the oddsmakers put the Buffalo Sabres. It wasn’t very good company, but depending on if the odds came out before or after the Corey Crawford retirement, it wasn’t a great spot to be in.
This season, the oddsmakers think a lot better of the Devils. Signing Dougie Hamilton and Tomas Tatar, among multiple other moves, have regular bettors looking at the Devils in a different light. It’s still not great. The Islanders, Penguins, Hurricanes, Rangers, Capitals, and Flyers are all predicted to have more points than the Devils. That has the Devils ranking seventh in the Metropolitan Division, ahead of only the Columbus Blue Jackets who are sitting at a paltry 76 1/2 over/under.
New Jersey Devils over/under bet is a reasonable 90 1/2.
The Devils are still ahead of 11 teams, which puts them just outside the top 20. It’s really nothing to go home about, but at least the oddsmakers think the Devils are going to be somewhat competitive. The Devils have broken 90 points in the standings just once in the past nine years. History is absolutely not on their side, but this is expected to be a different team.
Jack Hughes should be able to take a step in the right direction. Nico Hischier is expected to be healthy. Mackenzie Blackwood likely won’t get a debilitating virus again. It’s very unlikely the Devils will be as unlucky as they were last season. Maybe that 90-point threshold will be easier to hit than it has been in years past.