Panthers vs. Devils Odds
| Panthers Odds | -130 |
| Devils Odds | +110 |
| Over / Under | 6.5 -112 / -105 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Florida Panthers vs. New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, March 5 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
The Devils will begin life without head coach Lindy Ruff as they host the league-leading Panthers at the Prudential Center. The Devils will need the "new coach bounce" to hit hard in order to save what will likely be a lost season as they'r eight points back of the playoffs, with two games in hand over Philadelphia and Tampa Bay.
Florida is favored, but are the Panthers the best bet? Let's get to my Panthers vs Devils prediction.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers made clear statement last night as they thoroughly outplayed the Rangers at even strength and won 4-2 at Madison Square Garden to emphasize their standing atop the Eastern Conference.
In 25 games since the new year, the Panthers' 59.31 xGF% ranks first in the league. They are 9-1-0 over their past 10 games and have played to a 22-8-2 record on the road this season. Oddsmakers price them as the Stanley Cup favorite with Edmonton, and there is no argument against that from me.
They should remain at full health for this matchup, but will likely have backup Anthony Stolarz in goal. Stolarz has been excellent this season with 9.6 GSAx and a .924 save percentage across 19 appearances.
New Jersey Devils
It was clear that a change was needed in New Jersey, and that day finally came as Ruff was fired Monday. Assistant coach Travis Green was promoted to interim head coach and has experience as bench boss with the Canucks.
Ruff did suffer through some of the leagues worst goaltending and a nightmare injury situation that would have been hard for any coach to navigate. Still, he clearly was wasting the potential of his roster with awful usage decisions and an inability to adjust to what opposing coaches were doing.
When 99% of a fanbase agrees someone should be out, it's probably a sign.
So, can this team start trending upward with Green in charge? Well, it's safe to say Devils fans aren't loving his first move, as Simon Nemec will likely be a healthy scratch or used as a seventh defenseman.
Simon Nemec skating as an extra defenceman during morning skate with DeSimone.
Looks like he could potentially be a scratch tonight. #NJDevils
— Amanda Stein (@amandacstein) March 5, 2024
Nemec has been the Devils' best defenseman of late, both by the eye test and underlying results. Most importantly, he has played to a +6 goal differential in even strength play over the past 10 games.
It made no sense that Ruff was still the head coach as the Devils went on their California trip, and the Devils wasted three more games waiting to pull the trigger. That's an easy criticism for general manager Tom Fitzgerald, who also deserves criticism for stating this morning that the club would not deal Tyler Toffoli's expiring contract. The price for rentals is likely to be absurd, and the Devils have a 20% chance at the playoffs per most oddsmakers.
The Devils will likely respond to yesterday's move and show some significant urgency in this matchup. A lack of will hasn't necessarily been the problem though. Rather, New Jersey has displayed a propensity for high danger breakdowns in the worst areas.
Finishing chances has also been a significant struggle and the Devils are likely due for some sort of offensive surge regardless of who coaches.
Over the past month, the Devils 4.15 xGA/60 ranks first in the league, and they have put up 35.79 shots per 60 minutes. However, they have scored on just 8.05% of shots, which is the second-lowest mark over that span.
Akira Schmid has been confirmed as the Devils starter in this matchup. He has played to a -2.7 GSAx and an .897 save percentage in 18 appearances this season.
Panthers vs. Devils
Betting Pick & Prediction
Facing arguably the league's best team isn't necessarily an ideal matchup for Green to begin his reign with a win. However, the Devils do get the Panthers in a good spot as they played a tough game last night and will have a backup in goal.
The spot, combined with the Devils' strong underlying results, makes me believe New Jersey can own much of the play here, even versus an excellent Panthers side.
At Bet365's price of +110, I believe there's value on a small play on the Devils winning this matchup, but that is the lowest number worth playing. BetRivers has the Devils priced at -113 to record Over 30.5 shots on goal, and I believe that play also holds value if you can get it. If you can't, keep you're eyes out for prices on Stolarz saves and look to get Over 27.5 if that is the number.
Picks: Devils Moneyline (+110) | Devils Over 30.5 Shots on Goal (-113, Play to -125)
