Devils vs. Hurricanes prediction and odds for NHL playoffs Game 1

The New Jersey Devils survived the Battle of the Hudson in the opening round of the NHL Playoffs and now face the Carolina Hurricanes in Round 2.

The two teams split their season series, with the Devils taking the two latest. The most recent was a 3-0 home victory on March 12.

The Hurricanes have home ice advantage in what should be a must-watch series.

Let’s dive into the odds for Game 1 tonight.

Devils vs. Hurricanes odds, puck line, and total

Devils vs. Hurricanes prediction and pick

The Devils have found their goaltender and that could be the difference maker in this series. Akira Schmid had a .951 save percentage in the opening round, if his performance wasn’t exactly a fluke.

In 18 regular season appearances, Schmid had a .922 save percentage so it should come as a surprise to no one that he’s been standing on his head so far in the playoffs.

Despite the series going to Game 7, the Devils had the best 5-on-5 expected goals percentage of the opening round at 57.99%. Their offense created 16.82 high-danger scoring chances per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play, which was also the most amongst all first round teams.

The Hurricanes have to be concerned about their offense with Tuevo Teräväinen being added to the injury list.

I’m going to back the Devils as slight road underdogs tonight.

–

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.