The Hudson River Rivalry is set for another chapter as the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils face off for Game 1 tonight. These two teams had some fun, high-scoring battles during the regular season and this makes for a very fun, exciting first-round matchup.
There is a lot of top-end talent on both sides, and we should see some intense back-and-forth action in this series.
Find out my best bet in my free NHL picks for the Rangers vs. Devils on April 18.
Rangers vs Devils Game 1 odds
Rangers vs Devils series odds
| Team | To win | Win in 4 | Win in 5 | Win in 6 | Win in 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rangers | +100 | +1,300 | +700 | +475 | +550 |
| Devils | -120 | +1,100 | +550 | +500 | +425 |
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook as of April 18
Rangers vs Devils Game 1 predictions
The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils met on four separate occasions this season and out of those four meetings, the Over hit thrice. The Devils will be relying on their speed and attack off the rush with players like Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, and Timo Meier, while the Rangers are looking at their top six forwards to set the tone.
The Rangers added some big-time playoff performers at the trade deadline in Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko and I am very interested to see how those two players impact this series.
Of course, people are talking about the goaltending battle between Igor Shesterkin and Vitek Vanecek. It’s clear New York has the edge in between the pipes, but that doesn’t mean New Jersey won’t be able to score some goals.
The Devils finished as the fifth-best offensive team in the league this season, scoring 3.52 goals per game and averaging 13.54 high-danger scoring chances. The Rangers were the 12th highest-scoring offense, tallying 3.33 goals per game while generating the fifth-most scoring chances — 12.71 each night.
This series will see plenty of offense, and I love the Over in game one to set the tone for the Hudson River rivalry.
My best bet: Over 5.5 (-115 at BetMGM)
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Rangers vs Devils Game 1 moneyline analysis
There is no denying the fact that New Jersey was the more consistent team throughout the entire season, but the playoffs are a completely different story.
The Devils are in their first postseason since 2018 and have a lot of members on the roster that will be playing their first playoff game, whereas the Rangers are looking to go on another long postseason run just like they did last year after reaching the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
In almost every opening game of a playoff series, the road team has to weather the storm and settle in as the home team typically comes out flying, feeding off of their home crowd. I am expecting exactly that from New Jersey tonight.
I expect the Rangers to have to settle into their game and try to contain New Jersey’s speed, but for this specific game, I like New Jersey’s chances. The home side went 3-0-1 against New York this season, but in my mind, you can throw regular-season stats out the window, but with that being said, I believe the Devils will take Game 1.
Rangers vs Devils Game 1 Over/Under analysis
Igor Shesterkin against Vitek Vanecek is certainly a solid goaltending matchup, but we are talking about two very strong offensive teams here. The two teams combined had three 90+ point players in Hughes, Artemi Panarin, and Mika Zibanejad, and those guys are going to be the difference makers for their respective teams.
One of the most important factors in this series is going to be special teams. The Rangers finished the regular season with the league’s seventh-best power play — converting at a 24.1% — and the Devils finished 13th (21..9%).
I think both teams have strong goaltending, but I love the offensive talent on both sides and can see them being successful.
Rangers vs Devils betting trend to know
The Over hit in three of the four meetings this season. Find more NHL betting trends for Rangers vs Devils.
Rangers vs Devils Game 1 game info
| Location: | Prudential Center, Newark, NJ |
| Date: | Tuesday, April 18, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | TBS |
