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- What: New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins
- Date: Monday, January 15, 2024
- Location: TD Garden in Boston, MA
- Time: 1:00 p.m. ET
- How to Watch: NESN, MSGSN, NHLPP/ESPN+
With the observation of Martin Luther King’s Birthday today, the NHL has a slate of early games scheduled for the national holiday. One of those games pits the New Jersey Devils against the Boston Bruins in Boston. The Bruins are the top team in the NHL’s Eastern Conference for the 2024 season, with a 25-8-9 record. Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils are in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division with a record of 22-15-3. Both teams enter today’s matchup with wins in their most recent outings.
The Boston Bruins lost some key players in the offseason. Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci retired, while Taylor Hall and Dmitry Orlov were traded. While those losses hurt, the veteran team still has David Pastrnak, Brad Marchand, Hampus Lindholm, and Linus Ullmark. To take the sting off some of those losses, the team added James van Riemsdyk and Kevin Shattenkirk.
The New Jersey Devils were one of the pre-season favorites to win the Metropolitan Division along with the Carolina Hurricanes. New Jersey finished the 2023 NHL season one point behind Carolina at the top of the division standings. This year, things have not gone New Jersey’s way, as they are currently outside the playoff standings. Adding to the Devils’ woes, the team lost star forward Jack Hughes to injury in early January. Hughes is listed as week-to-week on the team’s injury report.
Before we look at the betting breakdown for today’s NHL matchup between the New Jersey Devils and Boston Bruins, check out our betting picks to win the 2024 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins betting picks – January 15, 2024
 | Puck Line | Money Line | Total |
| New Jersey Devils | +1.5 (-160) | +158 | Ov 6.0 (-122) |
| Boston Bruins | -1.5 (+135) | -183 | Un 6.0 (+102) |
New Jersey Devils betting breakdown
The New Jersey Devils are expected to make the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs after getting to the second round of the 2023 NHL postseason, where the Carolina Hurricanes eliminated them in five games. Unless something changes for the team, those hopes look dim, as the Devils are currently out of the wildcard hunt.
The Devils defense has been lacking this season. The team averaged 2.71 goals allowed per game last year on an average of 28.2 shots per game. This season, New Jersey is allowing an average of 3.50 goals per game, which is fifth highest in the NHL, on 29.4 shots per game. Meanwhile the team has a plus-one goal differential on the season.
Jesper Bratt leads the Devils in scoring with 46 points. The 25-year-old, who was a sixth-round pick of the team in 2016, is also tops on the club in goals (16) and assists (30). Bratt is on pace for a career year. However, among active players, no other Devils’ skater has more than 30 points on the year. The team needs Jack Hughes back in the mix and secondary scoring.
Vitek Vanecek is the team’s starting goaltender. He has a 3.31 goals against average and a .882 save percentage. Last year, which was his first for the Devils, Vanecek had a 2.45 GAA and a .911 SV%. The Devils are a 13-6-1 road team.
Boston Bruins betting breakdown
The Boston Bruins, who bowed out of the first round of the 2023 NHL playoffs, losing to the Florida Panthers in seven games, have silenced their doubters early in the 2024 season. The team opened the season with six straight wins to take the top spot in the Atlantic Division. Today, they are the top team in the Eastern Conference.
Team defense has been one of the keys for the Bruins. The team has given up 113 goals on the season, which is the sixth fewest in the NHL on 31.7 shots allowed per game, which is the ninth most average shots allowed per game in the league. Boston’s goal differential of plus-27 ranks first in the Eastern Conference.
David Pastrnak is the offensive leader of the Bruins. The winger has a team-leading 59 points. Pastrnak also leads the club in goals (25) and assists (34). Pastrnak is third in the NHL in scoring on the season. Brad Marchand is second in team scoring with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists).
Boston’s goaltending duo of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman have split time in net for the Bruins, and both are playing well. The duo has combined for a 2.69 goals against average and a .918 save percentage. Ullmark is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, but he has been skating, so he could be available for today’s game.
Boston is No.5 in the NHL in power play (27.1 percent) and fourth on the penalty kill (84.3 percent). The Bruins are 12-3-3 at home this season and have a 6-1-3 record in their past 10 games overall.
New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins betting trends
The Devils have scored four or more goals in six of their past 10 games, but they have given up more than five goals in three of their past 10 games. Meanwhile, the Bruins have scored more than four goals in seven of their past 10 games.
The Bruins are 6-0-0 against the Devils, dating back to November 2021, and they have outscored New Jersey 27-11 in those matchups.
Best bets for New Jersey Devils vs. Boston Bruins
These teams are playing at different levels right now. The betting pick is for the Boston Bruins to beat the New Jersey Devils.
The Bruins are scoring at a good clip this season, and the Devils’ defense and goaltending could be stronger. With that, look for the Bruins to cover the puck line.
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