The Sharks and Devils meet in New Jersey on Friday after both teams were on the road last night. San Jose lost 3-0 in Boston while the Devils took down the Flyers 4-3 in overtime.
The Devils have turned things around with three straight wins after a three-game losing streak. The Sharks, meanwhile, have yet to get a road win in nine tries and are sizable underdogs in the NHL odds once again.
Can New Jersey stretch its winning streak to four games? Read on for our Sharks vs. Devils NHL picks and predictions for Friday, December 1.
Sharks vs Devils odds
Sharks vs Devils predictions
The Devils' turnaround this week coincided with the return of Nico Hischier.
Hischier finished second in the Selke Trophy voting last season and is a big part of this New Jersey team. Of course, Jack Hughes returned a few games prior and the two youngsters give the Devils quite the one-two punch down the middle.
Hughes picked up a goal and two assists, including a helper on brother Luke Hughes' overtime winner, in the Devils' victory last night.
"To win three in a row, you've got to win them in different ways," Devils coach Lindy Ruff said. "Sometimes it isn't the prettiest. We're down a lot of manpower and to come in here on the road and win a game, it was a good effort by our club."
New Jersey has been a high-scoring team this season, especially when healthy. The Devils average 3.62 goals per game (fifth) while the Sharks allow a league-worst 3.96 goals per contest. Their win in Philadelphia marked the 11th time this season they’ve scored at least four goals, including seven games with at least five goals.
The Sharks have been tighter defensively as of late but they'll be turning to backup Kaapo Kahkonen (2-6-0, 4.12 GAA, .889 SV%) in New Jersey. They also haven’t been able to score much on the road with just six goals in nine games.
Expect the Devils to stay red-hot at home tonight against the lowly Sharks.
My best bet: Devils -1.5 (-148 via BetRivers)
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Sharks vs Devils same-game parlay
Devils -1.5
First Period Over 1.5
Nico Hischier anytime goal
The Sharks have yet to cover a +1.5 spread on the road, so we’re starting off our parlay with the best bet of Devils -1.5.
Not only are the Devils one of the highest-scoring teams overall, they’ve also trended heavily to the Over in the first period this season. They scored twice in the opening frame last night to bring their first period Over 1.5 record to 17-4 on the season.
With those two legs bringing us to a respectable +135, it’s time to add a goal scorer prop.
Hischier has missed nearly half the season thus far but has made his presence felt when he's in the lineup. He leads the Devils with 1.60 xG/60 and is behind only Jack Hughes in individual scoring chances per 60 minutes (13.53) at 5-on-5 play.
The two-way center is also on the Devils’ top power-play unit, which is among the best in the league. The Sharks’ penalty kill is towards the bottom of the NHL.
Back Hischier and the Devils to get the best of the Sharks tonight.
Learn how to bet a same-game parlay with these helpful tips and strategies.
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Sharks vs Devils moneyline and Over/Under analysis
The Devils opened as humongous favorites at -470 but have moved down to as low as -400 at BetRivers. You can still get the Sharks at their opening odds of +360 at DraftKings.
If you’re just looking to bet the moneyline, the Sharks may have some value. Hockey is a weird sport and San Jose has surprised a few teams recently. Having said that, I’m much more comfortable playing the Devils on the puck line or in a parlay.
The total opened and remains at 6.5 with the Over slightly favored. Most books have the Over 6.5 at -125 with the Under 6.5 at +105.
I would lean to the Over 6.5 here, but I’d rather play the Devils team total since you can’t trust the Sharks to score on the road.
Sharks vs Devils betting trend to know
The Over is 6-1 in the Devils' last seven games played on no rest. Find more NHL betting trends for Sharks vs. Devils.
Sharks vs Devils game info
| Location: | Prudential Center, Newark, NJ |
| Date: | Friday, December 1, 2023 |
| Puck drop: | 7:00 p.m. ET |
| TV: | NHL Network |
Sharks vs Devils latest injuries
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