The New York Rangers and the New Jersey Devils meet in game two of their Eastern Conference quarterfinal matchup in NHL action from the Prudential Center on Thursday night. Let’s dive into the odds, matchup history and make a prediction for this game.
Odds
New Jersey is listed as a -130 home favorite while New York is a +110 road underdog. The total for this game is set at 5.5 goals.
Matchup History
New York’s 5-1 win over the Devils in game one snapped New Jersey’s two-game win streak in this head-to-head matchup.
Trends
New York is 5-1 in their last 6 division games and 4-0 in their last 4 conference quarterfinal games while the under is 7-2-1 in their last 10 road games. New Jersey is 13-3 in their last 16 division games and 5-1 in their last 6 home games while the over is 4-1 in their last 5 games overall.
Pick
I’m backing the Rangers here. We saw the Devils have some game one jitters and they even admitted it in the post-game and I’m not sure that I’m ready to assume they’re past them even in game two. New Jersey, like the Rangers, were better on the road than at home and the Rangers’ playoff experience already paid off in game one and I think it could be two straight here. Give me the Rangers.