New Jersey Devils vs. Calgary Flames Prediction, NHL Odds
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Edgar Chaput
It’s the finale of New Jersey’s three-game Western Canadian road trip, whereas Calgary ends an extended, eight-game homestand.
Darryl Sutter’s Flames are given the edge as -135 favourites to win on the NHL odds. The over-under is expected at 6.5 goals.
Devils vs. Flames NHL Betting Odds
Play with fire and get burned. New Jersey has had a devil of a time against the Flames in recent years. The Albertan squad has won eight in a row. We have to go back to January of 2017 for the last time the Devils claimed victory. That was almost six years ago.
We spoke of the Devils earlier this week in the lead-up to the Vancouver game and since then they have improved upon an already decent record against the spread. At 7-4, they’ve proven to be a very reliable bet at this early stage in the season. Consider that half of the four failures were the first two games on their schedule.
Regarding odds and spreads, the 2022-2023 Calgary Flames are a bit of a puzzle. They’ve earned themselves a respectable if unspectacular 5-4 win-loss record but covering has been a challenge. Calgary is a miserable 3-6 ATS so far this year. What’s more, it wasn’t that long ago that the team was faring well against the spread but has failed to cover in three consecutive games. Suffice it to say, they aren’t on fire lately.
New Jersey Devils
Coach Lindy Ruff has his men playing like a team possessed. They hold a one-point lead in the Metropolitan Division and have punched in five consecutive wins, making good work of their first two Canadian opponents on this road swing.
What makes the club so special is the variety of ways in which they earn their victories. They can vanquish the defending champs in a tight, 1-0 struggle. They can beat the devil out of the Canucks 5-1. Then they can cast whatever spell it was they put on the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. For two periods it looked as though the Connor McDavid-led Oilers, who led 3-1, were going to have their way. McDavid himself netted his 12th goal of the season and Edmonton capitalized on New Jersey turnovers. But never count these Devils out. Three third-period goals turned the tide. The real shockers were the game-tying and game-winning goals, netted seven seconds apart. Yes, seven. These guys simply find ways to win.
Calgary Flames
The Calgarian squad certainly didn’t live up to its namesake on Thursday night when they hosted the Nashville Predators. If anything, they were cold as ice for the better part of two periods. At one point deep into the second, the Flames had mustered a paltry 3 shots on target! The first and second periods were terribly sloppy, with the home side looking as if it was sleepwalking through the contest.
Despite the 4-1 final in favour of the Predators, Sutter got his unit playing much better as the game went on. They forced the Nashville netminder into a series of impressive saves that, had the puck gone in, may have greatly altered the outcome. With a terrific opponent coming to town Saturday, their fans will hope the strong third period play on Thursday carries over. Given New Jersey’s propensity to score a lot, the services of points leaders Nazem Kadri, Tyler Toffoli, and Rasmus Anderson will be needed.
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