Hurricanes vs Devils

With Carolina having just halted a brief two-game losing streak in emphatic fashion and New Jersey riding a two-game surge after dropping four straight, this matchup still leans toward the Hurricanes on the moneyline at -118 thanks to a superior 29-15-4 overall mark, stronger 10-3-0 divisional record, and an away profile (12-7-3) that stacks up well against the Devils’ 12-8-2 home slate. The Canes’ active roster features an impact top six built around Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, Andrei Svechnikov, and Seth Jarvis, and even with depth losses like Pyotr Kochetkov, Shayne Gostisbehere, and William Carrier, their blue line with Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller, and Sean Walker still runs deeper than New Jersey’s, which is missing bottom-six wingers Zack MacEwen and Stefan Noesen. Carolina has already controlled this season series, outscoring the Devils 9-4 in two wins (6-3 at home and 3-1 in Newark) behind big nights from Hall, Jarvis, Miller, and breakout goaltender Brandon Bussi, and they sit atop the Metro at 62 points compared to New Jersey’s 50, raising the stakes for both sides in the playoff race but giving the road favorite more margin for error. Factor in Carolina’s heavier shot share and the Devils’ 4-8-2 divisional record, and Hurricanes -118 earns an A- grade as a high-confidence play with respectable value for a short road favorite in a matchup they’ve controlled territorially and on the scoreboard. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 09:53([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/preview/_/gameId/401803110))

Although Carolina’s offense has been humming at 3.8 goals per game over its last 10, New Jersey’s recent 2.3 goals per outing and a renewed defensive emphasis with Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen sharing the crease point this toward a tighter divisional script, especially with both teams largely healthy in their top six but down some depth pieces that typically juice pace rather than finish. The Devils have struggled to generate offense inside the Metro (4-8-2 in-division), and their best path to hanging with a deeper Hurricanes forward group led by Aho, Ehlers, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Svechnikov is to lean into structure and limit rush chances, much as we saw in Carolina’s 3-1 win in Newark on January 4, which landed comfortably under the number even with the Canes driving play. While the first meeting exploded to a 6-3 final on opening night, the aggregate 13 total goals in two games is skewed by special-teams spikes and a wild third period in Raleigh, and both benches now have fresh video on each other’s tendencies plus an appreciation that Metro points matter more as Carolina tries to widen its lead and New Jersey clings to the wild-card chase. With solid goaltending on both sides (Bussi and Andersen for the Canes, Markstrom and Allen for the Devils), some scoring depth shelved, and the likelihood of a playoff-style, whistle-heavy grind, Under 6 at -105 gets a B+ grade as a slightly plus-EV position that still respects Carolina’s scoring ceiling. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 09:53([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/preview/_/gameId/401803110))

Carolina has covered the puckline comfortably in both prior meetings (6-3 at home and 3-1 on the road), but with the Devils now on a small two-game heater, back at Prudential Center where they’re 12-8-2, and getting steadier work from Markstrom behind a blue line led by Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, and Jonas Siegenthaler, the more rational side of this inflated puckline board is New Jersey +1.5 at -225 rather than laying -286 with a Hurricanes team that just poured in nine and could be primed for some natural offensive regression. The Canes’ top six and deep defense still give them a clear path to a regulation win, especially with Bussi and Andersen in good form and Carolina already owning a 2-0 edge in the season series, but the combination of New Jersey’s improved five-on-five play since its four-game skid, a healthier center spine with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier driving matchups, and the desperation of a team sitting below Carolina in the Metro standings makes a one-goal game a realistic outcome more often than these prices imply. That said, the Devils’ recent blowout losses inside the division and the fact Carolina has repeatedly tilted the ice in this matchup cap the edge and make the juice on the home dog puckline relatively unattractive, so Devils +1.5 (-225) earns just a C+ grade: likely to cash but offering limited monetary upside compared to the moneyline or total. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 17/01/2026 09:53([espn.com](https://www.espn.com/nhl/preview/_/gameId/401803110))