Rangers vs Devils Game 1 Prediction & Picks: New York Shocks Prudential Center Crowd

After a grueling 82-game regular season, the 2022-23 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs are here. The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils kick off their first-round series on Tuesday, April 18. As Metropolitan Division rivals, these two clubs know each other well, further adding to the stakes of tonight's Rangers vs Devils clash.

The New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers are very familiar with each other.

Which team is winning this time around? pic.twitter.com/axZVjY4OTU

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) April 16, 2023

The Rangers and Devils collided four times during the regular campaign due to their divisional rivalry, resulting in three victories for New Jersey. Having said that, the clubs were evenly matched for the most part, proven by three of the games ending with a one-goal differential. Will tonight’s contest be just as close?

Betting News has you covered for all of your Rangers vs Devils Game 1 needs. Read on for the latest odds for tonight’s game, as well as a prediction and the best bet to make.

New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils Matchup Information and Betting Odds

Matchup Information

• Matchup: New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils (Series tied 0-0)
• Venue & Location: Prudential Center (Newark, New Jersey)
• Date: Tuesday, April 18, 2023
• Game Time: 7 p.m. Eastern Time
• Rangers vs Devils TV Info: TBS

Rangers vs Devils Odds

Game odds are via BetOnline as of Tuesday, April 18 at 9:01 a.m. ET. Odds from other top online sportsbooks may also be mentioned in this article.

Spread

• New York Rangers +1.5 (-230)
• New Jersey Devils -1.5 (+188)

Over/Under

• Over 5.5 Goals (-115)
• Under 5.5 Goals (-105)

Moneyline

• New York Rangers +112
• New Jersey Devils -134

Rangers vs Devils Betting Trends

• The Rangers are 10-4 straight up in their last 14 games against New Jersey.
• New Jersey is 5-0 straight up in its last five home games.
• The total has hit the under in seven of the Rangers’ last nine road games.
• The total has hit the over in five of New Jersey’s last seven games.
• The total has hit the over in 15 of the last 20 Rangers-Devils matchups at Prudential Center.

Rangers vs Devils Game Preview

Both teams enter the playoffs after closing out the regular season in different ways. The Rangers lost three of their last four games, however, each defeat came by a one-goal margin. On the other side, the Devils have won six of their eight latest contests, giving them a solid bit of momentum.

One reason why the Rangers lost those games is that their offense has slowed down, being held to exactly two goals in each loss. I could see that trend changing as they’re set to face Devils goaltender Vitek Vanecek, who has allowed three-plus goals in seven of his 11 career meetings against New York.

Meanwhile, the Devils will likely have a tough time solving Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin. The Russian goaltender has tallied a 7-2-1 record over his last 10 starts, playing to a 1.70 goals-against average and .946 save percentage with a pair of shutouts.

Having said that, Shesterkin owns a 4.10 GAA and .888 SV% in his last three trips to Prudential Center.

In fact, New York hasn’t had much luck in New Jersey in general. After winning five straight road games against the Devils from November 2019 to April 2021, the Rangers are 1-2-1 in their last four away games against their Metropolitan Division rivals.

The Devils are also on a five-game winning streak at home, outscoring opponents 26-8 over that stretch. They’ve allowed two or fewer goals in each of their last four home contests, helped by a penalty kill that has staved off the last 11 penalties in their own building.

Nevertheless, the Rangers own the seventh-best power play this season (24.1%), meaning the Devils can’t afford to take any penalties, regardless of how good the PK has been.

I also like how deep the Rangers are. They have eight players who recorded at least 40 points this season, led by Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, who finished with 92 and 91, respectively. What’s even more impressive is that two of the players are defensemen as Adam Fox racked up 72 points while K’Andre Miller finished with 43.

While the Devils had seven players record 40-plus points, Jack Hughes was the only one to hit the 90-point mark (99). Dougie Hamilton is the only one of the seven players who’s a defenseman, finishing with 74. For reference, Damon Severson was the next closest at 33.

Rangers vs Devils Game 1 Prediction and Picks

Rangers vs Devils Prediction: Rangers 4, Devils 3

Rangers vs Devils: Rangers ML (Best Value: +112 at BetOnline) & Over 5.5 Goals (Best Value: -115 at BetOnline)

Although the Devils have the home-ice advantage, I’m going with the Rangers pulling off the upset. A team with a forward core of Panarin, Zibanejad, Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko is built to cause havoc in the postseason. New Jersey is a great team, but it can’t possibly shut down the entirety of New York’s elite attack. It’ll still be a close one, though.

It’s also a good idea to back the over on the 5.5-goal total. Not only is the over 13-5 in the last 18 Rangers vs Devils clashes, but it’s also 15-5 in their last 20 encounters at Prudential Center. Considering how these rivals went over 5.5 goals in all but one of their four meetings this regular season, doing so again won’t be an issue with the playoff atmosphere elevating everyone’s play.

Other Rangers vs Devils Betting Resources

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

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