Capitals vs Devils

New Jersey’s recent 4-8 slide has been ugly, but Washington staggering into Newark at 1-4-2 over its last seven and fresh off a third-period collapse tilts this matchup toward the home side, especially with the Capitals missing key pieces like Pierre-Luc Dubois, Ryan Leonard, Rasmus Sandin, and Tom Wilson while the Devils’ absences are mostly further down the lineup. With Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Jesper Bratt all available, New Jersey’s top-six punch at home against a taxed Caps blue line and penalty kill looks stronger than Washington’s depleted attack, which leans heavily on Alex Ovechkin and Connor McMichael and has been conceding too many high-danger looks. Recent head-to-heads have been tight—a Devils shootout win last month and a 6-5 Caps victory in Newark earlier in the season—but those games also highlighted how New Jersey’s speed can stress Washington over 60 minutes, and with the Devils still owning a solid home record, the modest favorite price of -125 feels justified rather than inflated. Given both teams’ volatility and slumps this grades as a B pick on Devils moneyline: solid edge driven by injuries, recent goaltending form, and home-ice advantage, but not strong enough for top-tier confidence. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 27/12/2025 09:30.

With Washington averaging just over 3 goals for and under 2.75 against per game and New Jersey sitting around 2.7 scored but nearly 3 allowed with a negative goal differential, the statistical baseline points toward enough offense to clear a low 5.5 total, especially given both penalty kills are in the bottom tier and each side has been leaking chances during its recent skid. The Caps have given up big numbers in several recent outings as their goaltending has regressed after a hot start, while the Devils’ defensive injuries and rotating goalie carousel have produced some messy coverage, even as Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen have stolen the occasional game; that mix usually leads to volatility rather than a clean 2-1 type contest. The last two meetings produced 6-5 and 3-2 scorelines (with plenty of chances in both), and with New Jersey’s top forwards healthy and Washington still capable of capitalizing on the rush and the power play, a 4-2 or 4-3 type script is more likely than another grind-fest coming straight out of the break. The price of -115 on the Over is a bit rich for a pair of teams still under 3.25 goals per game, so this gets a B- grade: worthwhile if you expect the defensive issues and special-teams matchup to outweigh any post-break rust, but there is enough downside that it stays in the mid-confidence tier. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 27/12/2025 09:30.

Given that both clubs carry negative or modest goal differentials and their recent matchups have been decided by a single goal, taking Washington at +1.5 on the puckline profiles as the safer approach than asking an inconsistent Devils team to win by multiple goals, even with New Jersey favored on the moneyline. The Caps’ injuries to Dubois, Leonard, Sandin, and Wilson certainly cap their offensive ceiling, but Spencer Carbery’s group has generally kept games within one score thanks to a structured system and solid five-on-five shot suppression, and New Jersey’s own scoring struggles plus a subpar penalty kill make it less likely they consistently pull away late. With Hughes, Hischier, Meier, and Bratt driving play, the Devils can absolutely generate enough to win, yet their tendency to play in tight, mistake-prone contests—combined with solid Washington goaltending upside in any given night—makes a one-goal margin the most probable outcome, whether it’s 3-2 or 4-3 either way. At -260 this is a pricey but high-probability position that earns a B+ grade: the value isn’t elite given the juice, but as a way to back Washington’s ability to hang around in a key Metro divisional game it stands out as the most reliable of the three angles. Odds and availability are subject to change. This bet was made at 27/12/2025 09:30.