Flames vs Devils

Jack Hughes and the Devils finally get a chance to build on the 3-1 win in St. Louis that snapped their five-game losing streak, and they draw a Calgary team that has been leaking goals on this road swing after heavy defeats in Washington and New York. With Jonathan Huberdeau sidelined and Cullen Potter also out, the Flames’ forward depth behind Nazem Kadri, Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary is thinner than New Jersey’s top-nine that runs through Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier, especially with Jacob Markstrom stabilizing the crease against his former club. Calgary’s recent trip through the East has shown how fragile they are when chasing games, while New Jersey’s roster, even with Brett Pesce, Zack MacEwen and Stefan Noesen missing, still rolls out multiple lines that can attack softer matchups at home. Kadri has already found the net against the Devils this season and Meier has a long history of production versus Calgary, but with the Devils playing for their wild-card lives in the back half of the schedule and the Flames sitting well back in the Western race, the situational edge still leans to the home side. At a moneyline of 158 on Calgary and -176 on New Jersey, the price is chalky but justified given the goaltending edge, home ice, and motivation gap, so backing the Devils earns a B grade for solid likelihood with modest return on investment. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/03/2026 09:37

The total is sitting at 5.5 with the Under at 100, and both teams’ profiles suggest a grind more than a track meet: New Jersey has been scoring closer to the middle of the pack while allowing just over three per night, and Calgary’s offense has sagged on this trip with only sporadic multi-goal outbursts amid a lot of one- and two-goal efforts. Huberdeau’s absence strips the Flames of a primary zone-entry and power-play facilitator, and while the Devils are missing Pesce and a couple of depth wingers, their structure under Sheldon Keefe plus Markstrom’s recent form have kept games from completely opening up, even during that ugly losing streak. Historically, Meier and Hughes have certainly generated chances against Calgary, and Kadri has hurt New Jersey in prior meetings, but with the Flames’ confidence low and New Jersey likely to shorten the bench in a game that matters for Eastern playoff positioning, the tempo sets up more like a 3-1 or 3-2 type score than a shootout. Both power plays are dangerous enough to cash a goal, yet neither is so explosive that we should expect special teams to blow the total past six on its own, especially if Calgary struggles to draw penalties while spending long stretches in its own end. Given the combination of recent scoring trends, injuries to key playmakers, and the Devils’ incentive to clamp down late with a lead, Under 5.5 at 100 merits a B+ grade as a relatively strong angle with even-money value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/03/2026 09:37

For the puckline, the market is hanging Calgary at -166 on the +1.5 and New Jersey at 144 on the -1.5, and the way these teams are trending suggests some sneaky volatility that makes the Devils side interesting but not slam-dunk. Calgary’s recent road results include multi-goal losses in Boston, Montreal, Washington and New York, underlining how quickly things can snowball when their thin blue line and inconsistent goaltending get exposed, and that’s before accounting for Huberdeau’s absence forcing more minutes onto a young group of wingers. On the other side, a Devils forward core led by Hughes, Hischier, Bratt and Meier has enough firepower to turn stretches of five-on-five dominance into separation on the scoreboard, especially against a Flames group that has already coughed up a 2-1 home loss to New Jersey this season and tends to press late when trailing. Markstrom’s intimate knowledge of Calgary shooters and systems should help New Jersey protect leads, and with the Devils needing regulation wins to chase an Eastern wild-card spot while the Flames are effectively playing out the string, the empty-net scenario in the final minutes becomes more likely in a one-goal game. Still, Calgary can keep things tight if Kadri, Sharangovich and Blake Coleman win their matchup minutes, so while Devils -1.5 at 144 offers enticing upside if their talent gap shows, the combination of multi-goal-win variance and recent Devils inconsistency keeps this at a B- grade rather than something higher. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 12/03/2026 09:37