Golden Knights vs Devils

Jack Eichel and the Golden Knights arrive in Newark riding a two-game win streak and a strong historical December track record, while the Devils limp into the end of their four-game homestand on a three-game skid after being blanked 3-0 by Dallas and slipping to 3-6-0 over their last nine. New Jersey’s form dip is magnified by a brutal injury list that still includes Jack Hughes, Brett Pesce, Evgenii Dadonov, Johnathan Kovacevic, Marc McLaughlin, and Zack MacEwen, removing both their top offensive catalyst and a key matchup defender just as Vegas’ forward depth with Eichel, Mitch Marner, Mark Stone, Ivan Barbashev and Tomas Hertl is finding rhythm. Eichel’s track record against New Jersey — double-digit goals and more than 20 points in 20-plus career meetings with 10 points in his last 10 alone — combined with Vegas’ top-tier shot suppression (around 25 shots against per game) and a resurgent Carter Hart in net against a Devils team that has tightened up offensively without Hughes, tilts this matchup toward the visitors despite missing Adin Hill, William Karlsson, Jeremy Lauzon, and Alex Pietrangelo. At -130, Vegas is priced like a modest road favorite, but given the current trajectories, injuries, and head-to-head star power tilt, I like the Golden Knights on the moneyline with an A- grade for both win probability and reasonable value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 05/12/2025 09:23am

Vegas and New Jersey both hover around three goals for and against per game, and with the Devils leaking chances during this three-game losing run and Vegas on a mini heater offensively, the offensive environment leans toward another high-event night rather than a grind-fest under. Even with Hughes and Pesce out, New Jersey still rolls out Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Ondrej Palat, and they’ve shown all season that when they lose structure — particularly late in homestands — games can open up quickly, while Vegas’ own blue-line injuries (Pietrangelo, Lauzon) and reliance on Hart with Hill on IR introduce some volatility in their usually stingy defensive profile. Add in that both clubs feature top-10 power plays and top-10 penalty kills, creating plenty of special-teams minutes with actual scoring upside, and that Eichel historically produces well against the Devils while Hischier has quietly piled up goals in this matchup, and a push at six feels like the floor more often than not. With the Over at -105 versus a juiced Under, the price nudges us toward Over 6, but the injuries cutting into New Jersey’s top-end scoring keep this at a B-grade rather than something higher. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 05/12/2025 09:23am

Given Vegas’ modest scoring margin profile and New Jersey’s strong overall home body of work (still one of the league’s better home points percentages despite this three-game slide), grabbing the Devils at +1.5 on the puckline leans into recent streak dynamics without assuming the slumping hosts completely collapse. The Devils are banged up — Hughes, Pesce, Dadonov, Kovacevic, McLaughlin, and MacEwen all remain out — but their depth with Hischier, Bratt, Meier and a deep defense group (Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes, Jonas Siegenthaler, Simon Nemec) has typically kept games within one goal, and Jacob Markstrom/Jake Allen provide at least league-average goaltending even while the club fights form. On the other side, Vegas is missing key spine pieces in Hill, Karlsson, Lauzon, and Pietrangelo, which increases the chance that Eichel and Stone’s edge over New Jersey’s depleted lineup translates into a narrow road win rather than a blowout, especially with Vegas opening a long East-coast trip in a building that was a fortress earlier this season. At -240 the price is steep and limits upside, but as a safer way to fade a full Devils collapse while still respecting Vegas’ moneyline edge, Devils +1.5 earns a B- grade for likelihood but only modest monetary value. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 05/12/2025 09:23am