It wasn’t that long ago that the New York Rangers had a 2-0 lead and looked like they were going to prance to the second round of the NHL Playoffs.
Then, the Devils named Akira Schmid their starting goaltender and he has carried them to three straight wins. They can clinch the series on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden.
Will they get it done or will we see a Game 7 in the Battle of the Hudson?
Let’s dive into the betting odds for the game and then I’ll give you my best bet.
Devils vs. Rangers odds, puck line, and total
Devils vs. Rangers prediction and pick
Don’t get it twisted, the Devils outplayed the Rangers in the first two games of the series but terrible shooting and goaltending led to two straight losses. Since turning to Schmid, they’ve looked like world beaters.
Schmid has an astounding .976 save percentage in his three starts including a Game 5 shutout win over the Rangers.
The Devils have the highest 5-on-5 CORSI% in the first round of the playoffs at 54.24%. They also have the best 5-on-5 expected goals percentage, outranking the Rangers by a mark of 2.95 to 2.26 per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play.
I see no reason to jump off the Devils bandwagon in Game 6, especially considering we can get them at plus-money.
They’ll close out the series at Madison Square Garden.
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Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.