Devils vs Senators

Nico Hischier leads a New Jersey group that comes into Ottawa on a five-game losing streak, but the Senators are scarcely better at 1-4 in their last five despite a decent 6-5-2 home mark, which makes this price on the Devils attractive given how evenly these active rosters line up. With Jack Hughes out for the season, Brett Pesce on long-term injured reserve, and depth winger Evgenii Dadonov sidelined, New Jersey is hardly at full strength, yet they still lean on an established core of Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier backed by Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen in net; Ottawa counters with Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stützle, Drake Batherson, Jake Sanderson and Linus Ullmark, but losing leading scorer Shane Pinto and top-pair defenseman Thomas Chabot to injured reserve (and Lars Eller banged up) strips away a lot of their margin. Historically the Devils have had the better of this matchup overall and Bratt in particular has produced consistently against Ottawa, while Tkachuk has hurt New Jersey but now has to carry more of the offense with Pinto out; combined with Ottawa’s recent power-play struggles and porous penalty kill, this tilts the matchup slightly toward New Jersey despite their current funk. At a moneyline of 115, you’re getting a modest underdog return for what feels closer to a coin flip, so from a risk-reward standpoint this grades out as a B: not a slam dunk given the Devils’ cold finishing, but solid value if their underlying play-driving finally turns into goals. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/12/2025 09:25am

With the total sitting at 5.5, the recent form for both clubs leans low-scoring: over their last 10 the Devils and Senators are each averaging just 2.2 goals per game, New Jersey has managed only one goal across its last three outings, and Ottawa is coming off tight losses like 2-1 to St. Louis where volume didn’t translate into finish. Injuries to primary offensive pieces on both sides matter here – Hughes’ playmaking for New Jersey is gone for the year, while Ottawa’s man-advantage units have to cope without Pinto’s net-front finishing and Chabot’s puck-moving from up top – and that has already shown up in a weaker Senators power play facing a reasonably competent Devils penalty kill. Add in that Ullmark has generally stabilized Ottawa’s crease, Markstrom/Allen form a veteran tandem for New Jersey, and the Sens’ recent trend of heavy shot totals but limited conversion at home, and a grindy five-goal-or-fewer script is more likely than the offensive track meet these rosters suggested on paper in October. The market has shaded the Over at -115, but taking Under 5.5 at -105 gives you nearly even-money exposure on a game where two slumping attacks and several key injuries cap the scoring ceiling; that combination of matchup and price earns a B- grade, acknowledging there is still some downside if special-teams meltdowns or empty-net chaos push this one past six. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/12/2025 09:25am

The combination of a low 5.5 total, two offenses struggling for rhythm, and parallel mini-slumps on each side points strongly toward a one-goal game profile, which makes Devils +1.5 at -220 the safer puckline side even if the moneyline value is better. New Jersey’s five-game skid has featured a lot of territorial control without finish rather than outright no-shows, and Sheldon Keefe’s group tends to keep scorelines tight on the road, while Ottawa’s recent 1-4 stretch – including close defeats like 2-1 vs. the Blues and 4-2 vs. the Rangers – suggests they’re not consistently putting opponents away by margin, especially with Pinto and Chabot unavailable and more responsibility falling to Tkachuk, Stützle and Batherson to create everything. Historically, meetings between these teams lean competitive, and with both goaltending tandems (Markstrom/Allen and Ullmark/Meriläinen) capable of delivering league-average or better nights behind structured five-on-five play, the most common losing scenarios for New Jersey project as single-goal defeats rather than blowouts, which is exactly what you want when taking the underdog puckline. Laying -220 juice means the edge is more about probability than payout, though, so while I like the likelihood of a cover enough to call this a C+ from an overall value standpoint, it’s more of a parlay or bankroll-protection angle than a primary stand-alone position. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 09/12/2025 09:25am