Devils vs Flyers Odds
New Jersey Devils Odds | +100 |
Philadelphia Flyers Odds | -120 |
Over / Under | 6.5 -105o /-115u |
Here's everything you need to know about the New Jersey Devils vs Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, April 13.
Devils vs Flyers odds have the Flyers installed as -120 favorites on the moneyline; the over/under sits at 6.5 goals. My Devils vs Flyers prediction is a moneyline pick.
It's the final weekend of the regular season, and while Devils players can start making summer plans, the Flyers are still clinging to hope after a rousing 4-1 win at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.
Continue reading my NHL betting preview to find out why the Flyers are favored on Saturday — and a smart bet for NHL sharps.
With just two games left to play, the curtain has officially fallen on a disappointing 2023-24 season for the Devils.
Their main issue was goaltending as they have just a 90.38% team save percentage at 5-on-5, which ranks fifth lowest in the league. That led to an average of 3.45 goals against per game — the fifth worst.
Even Jake Allen, who has been steady since his acquisition at the trade deadline, is at -0.7 goals saved above expected in New Jersey. He has a save percentage of .906, but a goals against average of 3.06.
Injuries are the other main storyline, with Dougie Hamilton missing more than 60 games. Jack Hughes has been shut down for the season to undergo shoulder surgery while Curtis Lazar, Tomas Nosek and Nathan Bastian are also sidelined.
The Devils fired Lindy Ruff on March 4, but the hoped-for playoff push didn't materialize. Under interim head coach Travis Green, they're 8-10-1, with even stronger special teams. But they're still giving up more goals than they score.
Let's look at the Flyers' results over that same window, since Ruff was let go. They're 5-9-4, scoring an average of 2.44 goals per game, giving up 4.11 and their special teams are near the bottom of the league.
But they also snapped an eight-game losing streak against the No. 1 team in the league on Thursday — a reminder that, in hockey, anything can happen on any given night.
So, for the moment, the Flyers' playoff hopes are still alive. They're in a logjam, but just one point out of the second wild-card spot with two games left on the schedule.
They'll finish up against Washington on Tuesday, a game that could have big implications if they can build off Thursday's result and string together back-to-back wins for the first time since early February.
In net, Samuel Ersson stood tall on Thursday and made 24 saves. And even though he's now at an .888 save percentage for the year, his goals-against average remains a respectable 2.92.
After getting blown out 9-3 in Montreal earlier in the week, the group elected to stay together and face the media in the dressing room as a collective. That may be a sign that the players have re-committed to playing for each other down the stretch.
Other than veteran defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, the Flyers are healthy.
Devils vs. Flyers
Betting Pick & Prediction
Looking at the season series, the Devils and Flyers split a pair of overtime decisions before Christmas. Then, New Jersey logged a 6-3 home-ice win in February, just as Philadelphia started to wobble.
Sitting where they are in the standings, it's surprising to see that the Devils are actually four games above .500 on the road. That's unusual for a non-playoff team.
The Flyers are 19-16-4 at home and have two games left to restore their reputation in front of their fans — and maybe, just maybe, live to play another day.
Back in their comfort zone as underdogs, with much more to play for than the Devils, look for Philadelphia to keep hope alive on Saturday.