Devils vs. Maple Leafs prediction, odds, pick – 1/16/2025
Yesterday at 01:56 PM
The New Jersey Devils will face the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday at Scotiabank Arena. It’s a potential playoff preview as we share our NHL odds series and make a Devils-Maple Leafs prediction and pick.
The Maple Leafs are 25-15 over the past 40 games and 7-3 in the past 10 games against the Devils. Curiously, the road team has won the last eight games in this series, including the previous two games this season at the Prudential Center. Unsurprisingly, the Devils are 3-2 in the past five games at the Prudential Center.
Here are the Devils-Maple Leafs NHL odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
NHL Odds: Devils-Maple Leafs Odds
New Jersey Devils: +1.5 (-280)
Moneyline: -110
Toronto Maple Leafs: -1.5 (+220)
Moneyline: -110
Over: 5.5 (-138)
Under: 5.5 (+112)
How To Watch Devils vs Maple Leafs
Time: 7 PM ET/4 PM PT
TV: ESPN + and MSGS
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Why the Devils Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Devils must get early scoring against the Leafs. Unfortunately, they did not score in the first period in either game against the Leafs this season. New Jersey must also score in general, as they managed only three goals across two games.
While some players have struggled this season in New Jersey, others like Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Jesper Bratt have thrived. However, Hughes and Nischier both have failed to score in either game. Bratt has done his part, notching a goal and an assist over two games. But he needs his other fellow superstars to do more.
The Devils are one of the best teams in the NHL on the powerplay. Yet, going 1 for 9 combined over two games will not cut it. If New Jersey gets another chance on the extra-man attack, it needs to capitalize on the opportunities.
The Devils also need better goaltending and defense to contain the Leafs. Unfortunately, Jacob Markstom is 0-2 with six goals allowed over two games and a save percentage of .828 against the Maple Leafs this season. They also only blocked 13 shots in the second game, a game where their offense could not get any pucks in the net, and ultimately allowed the Leafs to score one more goal.
The Devils will cover the spread if Hughes, Hishier, and Bratt can set themselves up for good scoring chances. Then, the defense must tighten up and prevent the Leafs from getting open lanes and open shots.
Why the Maple Leafs Could Cover the Spread/Win
The Maple Leafs are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Dallas Stars at home. Regardless, they have played incredibly well this season and are currently leading their division, hoping to get home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs. The key to victory in this game lies in getting the early lead and shooting more.
The Leafs defeated the Devils twice this season because of their ability to hold them in check. They also have won despite not converting on the powerplay, going 0 for 2 in the first game and 0 for 3 in the second. Likewise, shooting the puck more would be ideal. They won the last game despite only taking 17 shots at the net. Their faceoff game was not great, as they only won 48 percent of the draws.
What’s more impressive about their wins over the Devils was how they did it. Somehow, they won both games despite not getting points from Mitchell Marner or William Nylander. Instead, the rest of the lines did work. Yes, Auston Matthews and John Tavares each had a goal in two games. But the third and fourth lines did a lot of the damage in the first game, which resulted in four goals.
Anthony Stolarz was the starter in the first two games. However, he has been out with an injury for several weeks and will not be available for a few weeks. Instead, Joseph Woll will be the starting goalie in this game and will try to replicate Stolarz’s performance.
The Maple Leafs will cover the spread if they can press the Devils and get some early offense. Then, they must also continue to clamp down on defense and prevent the Devils from getting too many chances.
Final Devils-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick
The Devils are 18-26 against the spread, while the Maple Leafs are 22-23 against the odds. Moreover, the Devils are 8-14 against the spread on the road, while the Leafs are 13-13 against the odds at home. The Devils are 14-28-2 against the over/under, while the Maple Leafs are 19-23-3 against the over/under.
While the Devils have struggled to play the Leafs this season, it’s also hard to ignore the weird trend in this series. Therefore, I believe the Devils will find a way to come out strong and cover the spread on the road against the Maple Leafs.
Final Devils-Maple Leafs Prediction & Pick: Devils +1.5 (-280)
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