The New Jersey Devils are likely a couple of wins away from securing the No. 3 seed in the Metropolitan Division and setting up a first-round series with the Carolina Hurricanes.
New Jersey has an eight-point cushion on the New York Rangers with just seven games to play.
A win over the Minnesota Wild on Monday night would essentially seal the deal for the Devils and allow them the luxury of using the last six games of the season to get right before the playoffs.
The Devils are a -160 favorite over the Wild at the time of writing.
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Wild vs. Devils betting preview
It’s been a tale of two seasons for the Devils.
New Jersey was considered a Stanley Cup contender going into Opening Night, and they looked the part through the first three months of the season.
The Devils went 23-11-3 before the holiday break and boasted some of the best 5-on-5 numbers in the entire NHL.
But things began to take a turn for the worse around New Year’s Day, and the Devils hit rock bottom at the beginning of March when it was announced that Jack Hughes and Dougie Hamilton would miss the remainder of the season with injuries.
Down their No. 1 center and top defensemen, the Devils continued to tailspin and came dangerously close to losing their grip on a playoff spot.
Just as concerning is that the Devils have looked like a shell of themselves on the ice, posting a 44.4% expected goals rate at 5-on-5 over their last 10 games.
Wild vs. Devils pick
Minnesota has had a similar season to the Devils.
Not only are they separated by just two points in the standings, but their campaigns followed the same pattern.
Like the Devils, the Wild got off to a terrific start but slowly faded into the mushy middle as the season went on due to injuries and inconsistent play.
These two teams are essentially staring into a mirror, making this game a coin flip.
That puts some value on the underdog on Monday evening.
The Pick: Minnesota Wild +125 or better
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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