The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils are set for a rematch after their first meeting of the season lived up to the hype. They met back on November 28, when the Devils came back from down 2-0 at Madison Square Garden and defeated the Rangers by a 5-4 scoreline.
The Rangers have found some momentum of late and enter tonight's contest on a three-game heater, while the Devils are coming off a tough loss against the Islanders.
This should be a very exciting game between two teams that don’t necessarily like each other in a rivalry that has been reborn. I break it all down in my NHL picks and predictions below.
Devils vs Rangers best odds
Devils vs Rangers picks and predictions
The New York Rangers have found a new form of life, offensively speaking, over the course of their last three games. Despite only scoring one goal in Colorado, the team has had way more jump of late and they are going to need that against the offensive juggernaut New Jersey Devils.
The Devils have been showing their offensive ability all season long, entering this game scoring 3.70 goals per game (fourth in the NHL). Early on in the season, plenty believed their production was a fluke and that regression would come, but the Devils have remained consistent in the goal-scoring department.
The Rangers have been underperforming their underlying metrics for most of the season, but there is still a ton of upside considering their play. They enter this game with a 3.33 xGF/60 and they have scored 12 goals combined in their last three games.
Vitek Vanecek against Igor Shesterkin is a strong goaltending battle, but we saw a high-scoring battle the last time these two teams met and I'm expecting a very similar storyline tonight.
Shesterkin has had a bit of a heavy workload this past week and won't be as fresh as he normally is. And while Vanecek is playing lights out, he might be a tad rattled from his most recent performance, allowing four goals on just 17 shots.
I like the way that both of these offenses are playing right now and I see this game being played pretty wide-open. Give me the Over.
My best bet: Over 6 (-110 at BetMGM)
Looking to do some NHL betting? Here are two of the best bonuses* available:
A) New users at FanDuel can get a no-sweat first bet of up to $1,000! Sign Up Now
B) New users at DraftKings can bet $5 and get $150 in free bets! Sign Up Now
*Eligible USA locations only. Also, check out our full list of best sportsbook promotions for 2022.
Devils vs Rangers moneyline analysis
The Rangers have been searching for consistency all season long and for the first time, it seems like they are getting very close to the game they want to play.
This game is a massive test for them considering how the last meeting with NJ went. The Rangers were embarrassed at home and the Devils fans took over MSG. As such, I expect this team to come out flying tonight to make a statement to their rival and the top team in the division.
The Devils aren't an easy opponent to play against: they buzz around the offensive zone and do a great job of limiting their opponent's chances. That being said, they aren’t perfect and it showed last time out against the Islanders, who outplayed them for most of the game.
The Rangers have the ability to outplay the Devils as well, but they have to be strong in their defensive zone or else New Jersey will skate circles around them.
This is the most momentum the Rangers have had all season long, with Shesterkin having his best stretch and the offense scoring goals. The Rangers have the special teams advantage as well as goaltending, so if they can keep up with the Devils at even strength, they should be able to win this game on home ice.
Devils vs Rangers Over/Under analysis
Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek are two of the top goalies in the NHL right now, but when these two teams play, the offense usually takes over with the amount of talent on both sides.
Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier have been incredibly impressive for the Devils this season, making themselves household names. For the Rangers, Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox continue to carry the offensive production.
The Devils do an incredible job at generating offensive chances, entering this game with the fourth most chances per game (12.63), but the Rangers have climbed into the No. 1 spot in this category. New York has found the spark they’ve been looking for by pairing up Mika Zibanejad with Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, the team is now generating 13.28 chances for per game.
We’re going to see a ton of scoring chances tonight on both ends of the ice and even though the goaltending is strong, I don’t think they can keep it to Under 6.
Devils vs Rangers betting trend to know
The Over is 9-2-1 in the last twelve meetings in New York. Find more NHL betting trends for Devils vs. Rangers.
Devils vs Rangers game info
| Location: | Madison Square Garden, New York, NY |
| Date: | Monday, December 12, 2022 |
| Tip-off: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | MSG, MSGSN |
