Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils Prediction, Odds and Picks for Today, 11/21/24

The NHL’s Thursday slate features a matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils. The Hurricanes look to push their winning streak to 4 games, while the Devils look to bounce back after a shutout loss to the Lightning last time out.

This will be the Hurricanes second back to back in the last week, which is a lot of hokey for anyone, even professionals. There is no doubt that the Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the league, averaging 4 goals a game, while getting the most shots on goal per game in the NHL. However, their strength of schedule has not been the strongest, meaning their stats as of right now may be slightly inflated.

The Devils will play just their third home game of November, a welcome sight for them as the Devils score 3.52 goals per home game, ranking in the top 10 in the NHL. Their expected goals per home game is 3.68, meaning they are generating legitimate scoring chances and not relying on lucky puck bounces. Their expected goals against per away game sits at 2.55, ranking in the top 10 in the NHL. The Devils have also enjoyed newly acquired Jacob Markstrom, who is the expected starter Thursday night. Markstrom has a 2.58 goals against average, with a save percentage above .900 so far, a nice safety net to their already successful defence.

I believe that the Devils will win this game, more than the Hurricanes will lose it. Back to backs are tricky enough to navigate, but 2 in the same week is near impossible. I think the tired legs of the Hurricanes will be the difference in this one. I like the Devils.

Carolina Hurricanes vs New Jersey Devils Prediction: New Jersey Devils ML (-115). Playable at that number.