Devils vs Islanders

Jack Hughes heads back to UBS Arena with a rested, nearly full-strength Devils group facing an Islanders team that’s 0-2-1 in its last three and likely missing both Ilya Sorokin and Bo Horvat, the same duo that carried New York in recent meetings with New Jersey. With Sorokin ruled out and David Rittich starting again behind a defense that just gave up four to Vancouver and then bled chances late against Buffalo, the Isles’ usual home-ice edge is blunted, especially against a Devils top six of Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt that is finally intact after a long injury stretch. The Devils had a two-game win streak snapped by Buffalo but still come in with 41 points and a strong power play around 21%, while the Islanders’ three-game winless slide and reduced center depth without Horvat tilt the five-on-five matchup toward New Jersey despite the rivalry setting and last month’s OT loss to the Isles. Given the road spot and Islanders’ desperation in a tight Eastern race, this isn’t slam-dunk territory, but the combination of New Jersey’s healthier core, favorable goaltending matchup, and Hughes’ strong career production against the Islanders makes Devils -130 a solid Moneyline position at a B+ grade for both win probability and value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:35.am

The total at 6 feels reachable with Sorokin sitting, Rittich starting again, and the Devils’ offensive ceiling jumping now that Hughes and Meier are back driving a power play that already ranks in the league’s upper third, while the Islanders still lean on a red-hot Mat Barzal, who’s riding a lengthy point streak and should generate chances even without Horvat. Recent Devils games have skewed tighter on the scoreboard (2-1 and 3-1 type results), but their underlying shot volume around 29 per night combined with the Islanders’ defensive wobble during this three-game winless run suggests New Jersey is positioned to push the pace and exploit New York’s backup goaltending and penalty kill. At the same time, the Isles have already shown they can get to this Devils defense, scoring three in OT at Prudential last month and historically finding ways to cash in on special teams in this matchup, so even a modest contribution from their patchwork top six could be enough to push this into 4-2 or 4-3 territory. The risk is that New York’s offense stalls again without Horvat and Palmieri, turning this into a lopsided, low-event Devils win, but at -105 the Over 6 still earns a B grade thanks to the goaltending downgrade for the Isles and the offensive talent density New Jersey brings on the road. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:35am

Given the injury stack for New York — Sorokin ruled out, Horvat doubtful, Palmieri on IR — the door is open for a multi-goal Devils win if their top-six talent and special teams edge tilt the ice early against Rittich, who’s being pushed into consecutive starts behind a club that has dropped three of its last four and was just outscored 7-3 over the last two outings at home. New Jersey’s offense now runs through a healthy Hughes-Hischier-Meier-Bratt core that has historically produced big nights against the Islanders, and with the Devils holding a slight overall points edge (41 to 42 for the Isles entering Tuesday) and eyeing position in the crowded Eastern pack, there’s incentive to press for separation late rather than sit on a one-goal lead. Still, divisional games at UBS often stay tight — the Isles already won 3-2 in OT in Newark this season and have a strong recent history of keeping Devils matchups within a goal when Sorokin is in — and Barzal’s current form makes a backdoor cover for New York entirely live, which caps confidence on laying -1.5 even at a juicy 205 price. That combination of decent payout but real one-goal-game risk leaves Devils -1.5 at a C+ grade: a higher-variance, small-stake angle that complements, rather than replaces, a straighter Moneyline position. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 23/12/2025 09:35am