NHL betting preview (Oct. 24): Devils vs. Red Wings odds
Jack Hughes and the New Jersey Devils aim to bounce back as -160 road favorites after consecutive home losses, while the Red Wings return to Detroit as +135 underdogs following two straight road wins.
Flyers vs. Capitals Odds
- New Jersey Devils Moneyline: -160
- Detroit Red Wings Moneyline: +135
- Puck Line: Devils -1.5 (+145), Red Wings +1.5 (-175)
- Game Total: 6.5 (Over -115, Under -105)
All odds via Sports Interaction.
Matchup
With the Rangers at 5-0-1 and the Capitals at 5-1-0, New Jersey’s 5-3-1 start falls short of preseason expectations. The Devils, preseason favorites at some sportsbooks to win the Metropolitan Division after signing Jacob Markstrom, now trail the Rangers by a point and sit just one point ahead of the Capitals, despite playing three more games than both teams.
Meanwhile, Detroit has performed as expected, looking like a middling team. Despite two consecutive wins, they are 3-3 after winning just one of their first four games. The Red Wings have gone 5-4 straight-up versus the Devils over the last three seasons, but they’ve lost four of the last five meetings.
Best Bets for Devils vs. Red Wings
New Jersey Devils Moneyline (-160) at Sports Interaction
New Jersey currently ranks 13th in expected goals percentage at even strength, according to Evolving Hockey, but they have the potential to finish in the top-five or top-10 by season’s end. They’ve faced tough opponents since starting the season in Prague against Buffalo and, despite a few poor performances, have generally controlled play. The Devils also rank 10th on the power play (25%) and ninth on the penalty kill (82.6%).
On the other hand, Detroit has struggled to control play. Evolving Hockey ranks them second-last in expected goals, shot attempts, unblocked shot attempts, and shots on goal at even strength. However, goaltender Alex Lyon has kept them competitive, saving nearly seven goals above expected in four games. The Red Wings’ power play is 22nd (15%), and their penalty kill ranks 28th (68.4%).
Last season, Detroit was a strong offensive team but consistently outperformed their expected goals at even strength. This season, however, they’ve generated the fewest shots and expected goals per 60 minutes. While New Jersey allowed six and eight goals in their last two games, this is an outlier, as they hadn’t allowed more than six goals in any game last season. Prior to those games, they were allowing just two goals per game, ranking them in the top-five defensively.
The Red Wings won 56% of their home games between 2021-22 and 2022-23, but they’ve had a rough start this season. Meanwhile, the Devils have won 68% of their road games since the beginning of the 2022-23 campaign. Even without Brett Pesce and Luke Hughes on Thursday, backing New Jersey at -160 to rebound in Detroit offers decent value, but I wouldn’t recommend reaching if the odds continue to climb.
The Devils opened as a -145 favorite at Sports Interaction and -160 is my cut off given that I believe the Devils should be priced closer to -180 with the expectation that Jacob Markstrom will be in goal.