Bruins vs Devils Betting (Dec. 23): Boston Spoils New Jersey’s Holiday Spirit

As people are making their last-minute Christmas preparations, more NHL action is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 23. One of the market matchups of the day features the Boston Bruins paying a visit to the New Jersey Devils. The two titans are among the best that the Eastern Conference has to offer, making this Bruins vs Devils tilt a must-see contest ahead of the holidays.

What a win for this Devils group. Guys answered the bell today and were ready to go from the jump. Friday night vs. the Bruins should be fun!

— Bill Spaulding (@BillSpaulding) December 22, 2022

The Bruins were victorious in a big way in their last outing, picking up a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers on Thursday. Nick Foligno and David Pastrnak each had two points each while Jeremy Swayman only allowed two goals on 27 shots.

Meanwhile, the Devils were last in action on Wednesday, also tallying a win against the Florida Panthers‚ this time by a 4-2 final score. New Jersey netminder turned away 34 of the 36 shots he faced while Jesper Bratt netted his 11th and 12th goals of the season en route to the victory.

As with most notable matchups, there are plenty of betting opportunities in this Bruins vs Devils tilt. Here’s a look at BetOnline Sportsbook’s latest odds for the games, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make, courtesy of Betting News.

Boston Bruins vs New Jersey Devils Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: Boston Bruins (26-4-2, 8-4-0 Away) vs. New Jersey Devils (22-9-2, 10-7-1 Home)
• Venue & Location: Prudential Center (East Rutherford, New Jersey)
• Date: Friday, Dec. 23, 2022
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Bruins vs Devils Info: ESPN+

Bruins vs Devils Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Friday, Dec. 23 at 1:06 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• Boston Bruins -1.5 (+186)
• New Jersey Devils +1.5 (-235)

Over/Under

• Over 6.5 Goals (+102)
• Under 6.5 Goals (-124)

Moneyline

• Boston Bruins -120
• New Jersey Devils +100

Boston Bruins vs New Jersey Devils Betting Trends

• Boston is 7-3 straight up in its last 10 road games.
• New Jersey is 3-7 straight up in its last 10 home games against Boston.
• The total has hit the over in five of Boston’s last six games against New Jersey.
• The total has hit the under in each of New Jersey’s last seven games against the Atlantic Division.

Bruins vs Devils Prediction and Picks

Bruins vs Devils Prediction: Bruins 5, Devils 2

Bruins vs Devils Picks: Bruins -1.5 (Best Value: +186 at BetOnline) & Over 6.5 Goals (Best Value: +102 at BetOnline)

The Devils may have ended their skid against the Panthers a few nights ago, but it’s still hard to trust them. After all, Florida was just 6-8-3 in its previous 17 games before losing to New Jersey, making it hard to predict whether the latter can handle a Stanley Cup contender like the Bruins.

Only the Buffalo Sabres average more goals (3.94) than the Bruins (3.88) this season. Boston has five players who’ve scored at least 10 goals, led by none other than David Pastrnak, who’s found the back of the twine 22 times already.

The Bruins’ offensive potential could be an issue for a Devils team that’s allowed at least four goals in five of its last seven outings. It doesn’t help that goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood has struggled in his recent starts, going 2-1-0 with a 3.45 goals-against average (GAA) and .882 save percentage (SV%) in his last five appearances.

The Devils also need to stay out of the penalty box if they hope to have a chance to win. The Bruins currently own the third-best power play on the year, operating at 29.5%. Although the Devils’ penalty kill is ranked No. 9 overall (80.6%), the unit is only at 73.7% over their last seven games — seventh-worst in the NHL over that stretch.

Even though home ice can help a lot of teams, the Devils that hasn’t been the case for the Devils. New Jersey has lost four straight games at Prudential Center, being outscored 16-8 along the way.

On the other hand, the Bruins are 7-3-0 in their last 10 road games. Not only that, but they’ve also won seven of their last 10 trips to East Rutherford. What’s even more impressive is that Boston hasn’t lost in regulation at Prudential Center since January 2017, establishing just how comfortable the Bruins are playing in the Devils’ barn.

In the end, I think that the Bruins are too talented to lose this one. They’re the hotter team while the Devils have to prove themselves again after their recent skid. Until New Jersey can prove that its run earlier this season was no fluke, I’m backing Boston to continue dominating these Bruins vs Devils matchups.

I’m going with the Bruins covering the 1.5-goal spread tonight. As mentioned before, the Devils have been allowing a lot of goals lately while the Bruins can score with the best of them. Considering how 10 of Boston’s last wins have come by at least two goals, I see Jim Montgomery’s club winning by a few tonight.

I’m also backing the total going over 6.5 goals. The Bruins and Devils both boast top-eight offenses and with the number of goals that the latter has been allowing recently, I see them surpassing tonight’s projection.

Other Boston vs New Jersey Resources

• Bruins vs Devils Consensus Picks, Score Projections & Betting Stats