The New Jersey Devils have been a completely different team when it comes to playing at home and on the road this season, as the Devils saw their recent disastrous road trek drop their record to 1-7 SU away from home compared to a 6-1-1 mark at home. New Jersey makes a short trip to Philadelphia for a date with the Flyers on Thursday, where sportsbooks opened the Flyers as -135 home favorites with a total of 6.
- The total has gone OVER in the Devils’ last three games vs the Flyers (avg. combined score: 7.67).
- The Devils are 1-11 SU in their last 12 games on the road.
- The Flyers are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games at home.
Can the Devils finally find some success on the road?
New Jersey’s unusual start to the campaign overseas followed by an extended homestand made its road trip especially difficult, and the club has since dropped to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings as a result. Nico Hischier sustained an upper-body injury in Sunday’s 5-2 loss to Winnipeg and sat out Tuesday’s 4-2 triumph over Pittsburgh as a result. The top pick in the 2017 NHL Draft missed Wednesday’s practice but could return to play tonight.
The Flyers saw their six-game point streak (5-0-1) snapped in their last game, a 2-1 setback to Florida on Tuesday. Philly is 2-1-0 on its five-game homestand and is set to get back New Jersey native James van Riemsdyk, who’s missed 16 games due to a right knee injury.
Van Riemsdyk, who scored 36 goals last season with Toronto, could provide a boost to Philadelphia’s lagging 28th-ranked power play that is just 2-for-28 in the last 10 tilts. The Flyers’ penalty kill hasn’t fared any better, as the unit has permitted a power-play goal in 10 of the past 11 games.
Flyers haven’t been covering the puckline at home
Betting on the Flyers puckline at Wells Fargo Center has been a fruitless endeavor lately. In Philadelphia’s past 12 home games, it’s 2-10 on the puckline. The Flyers are available for a price of +190 on the -1.5 spread for tonight’s matchup at Sportsbook.
When it comes to the total, bettors might want to consider the OVER based off recent trends. In the last three meetings between the teams, the OVER is 3-0, with an average combined score of 7.7 goals. The OVER is 6-2-2 in the Devils’ previous 10 contests, while the Flyers are 5-5 O/U in that span.
Devils turn to Kincaid in between the pipes
Keith Kincaid will start in net for the Devils. Kincaid (7-5-1, 2.80 goals-against average, .911 save percentage) picked up the win over the Penguins, turning aside 29 of 31 shots in the process. Brian Elliott (6-6-0, 2.62 GAA, .911 SV%) is slated to counter in the crease for the Flyers.
