Wild vs Devils Prediction, Betting Odds, and Our Best Bet

The New Jersey Devils are off to a really strong start this season and will look to keep the momentum going when they host the Minnesota Wild tonight at the Prudential Center, with the puck drop set for 7:00 PM ET.

Seeing how hot a start they’re on, the Devils are listed as -135 favorites on the moneyline, while the Wild come in as +114 underdogs. The over/under is set at 5.5 goals.

This will be the first meeting of the year between the 2 powerhouse clubs, and New Jersey comes in at 5-1-0, tied atop the Metropolitan Division, while Minnesota enters at 3-3-1, sitting in the middle of the Central. Both teams are coming off big road wins, but their recent form and overall play point to very different trajectories, even though it’s still early in the season. There’s plenty of time to make adjustments, but we all know that when the playoff race heats up, even these early-season games count.

Game Details and Betting Odds

New Jersey is fresh off a dominant 5-2 win over the Maple Leafs, powered by a Jack Hughes hat trick. They’ve won 5 of their last 6 games and have outscored opponents 20-12 over that stretch. Meanwhile, Minnesota just picked up a convincing 3-1 win over the Rangers, but that followed back-to-back losses to Dallas and Washington, where they struggled to find the back of the net and were outscored 10-3.

The Devils opened as -135 favorites on most sportsbooks and are getting a lot of support from sharp bettors thanks to their offensive firepower and strong home record. Minnesota sits at +114 and has looked shaky away from home, with a 2-2-1 road record.

Devils’ Firepower vs Wild’s Power Play

There’s no question about it, New Jersey is simply rolling right now. They’re averaging 4 goals per game, which is 3rd-best in the league, and rank 2nd in shooting percentage at a blistering 14.0%. That kind of efficiency is hard to match even for the best teams, especially when your top line is firing on all cylinders. Jack Hughes leads the team with 6 goals and 9 points, while Jesper Bratt has quietly put up 10 points of his own, including a team-high 7 assists. 

Despite those numbers, it’s not just the stars doing the work. Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier have chipped in with 3 and 2 goals, respectively. Even the 2nd and 3rd lines have gotten in on the action, with big contributions from Nico Hischier, Curtis Lazar, and Brendan Dillon. This depth allows the Devils to roll lines and maintain constant pressure, which has undoubtedly overwhelmed solid teams like Florida and Columbus.

Minnesota, on the other hand, is leaning heavily on a few players to carry the load. Kirill Kaprizov, to no surprise, has 10 points spanning 5 goals and 5 assists, but he’s a -4 on the ice. Matt Boldy has 6 assists but also sits at -1, and Ryan Hartman and Marco Rossi have just 3 goals combined despite getting decent minutes on the ice. The Wild average 2.71 goals per game, but their production drops significantly when their top power-play unit doesn’t convert.

Speaking of the power play units — this is Minnesota’s best weapon. They lead the league with an insane 34.5% conversion rate, scoring 10 power-play goals on 29 chances. That’s tough to achieve, but even harder to keep going. That edge might not carry over into this game, because the Devils’ PK unit is simply elite. They rank third in the NHL at a whopping 95.5% and have allowed just 2 power-play goals all season. Special teams might cancel out here, leaving Minnesota to win this at even strength, and that’s a tall order.

Goaltending, Defense, and Key Matchups

Goaltending gives New Jersey another big edge we can’t overlook. Jake Allen is 3-0 with a 1.91 GAA and a .931 SV%. Jacob Markstrom has also contributed a bit, despite his 3.89 GAA. Meanwhile, the Wild have been rotating Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt. Gustavsson is 2-3 with a 3.04 GAA and a .899 SV%. Wallstedt has better numbers with a 2.35 GAA and a .909 SV% but limited action.

Defensively, the Devils are tighter and more responsible in their own zone. They’ve allowed 2.83 goals per game compared to Minnesota’s 3.29. The Wild rank just 23rd in goals allowed, and their PK unit is shaky at best — ranked 25th in the NHL at 72.2%. That’s a bad mix when you’re facing a top-5 offense with one of the league’s most dynamic playmakers in Hughes.

The Wild are slightly more disciplined as they have taken fewer penalty minutes with 48 vs. 53, but their penalty kill can’t keep them afloat if they do find themselves a man short. And when games get fast, New Jersey thrives. They’re averaging nearly 27 SOG and controlling pace, while Minnesota’s defense is giving up nearly 30 shots per game.

If the Wild fall behind early, it’s hard to see them clawing back. They don’t have the depth scoring or the shutdown defense to flip games late in the 3rd period, and that’s why they’ve been blown out in losses to the Capitals and Stars.

Prediction and Best Bet

This is a bad matchup for the Wild. Their top-ranked power play meets a shutdown penalty kill, their goaltending is inconsistent, their defense gives up too many high-danger looks, and their offense is overly reliant on Kaprizov. They need to make some changes, but against NJ, this isn’t it.

The Devils are undeniably more balanced, faster, and deeper. They’re at home, where they’ve looked comfortable. On top of all of that, they’ve got the best player on the ice in Jack Hughes, who’s red-hot after netting a hat trick.

• Prediction: Devils 4, Wild 2
• Best Bet: Take New Jersey Devils -135 on the moneyline

The Devils proved they can win in different ways, and with how Minnesota has struggled against quality teams, New Jersey should take care of business, at the very least on the moneyline. That -1.5 spread looks nice at +185 considering an open net goal in the end, but we’re going to play it more conservatively given it’s early in the season.