Which Team Can Win the Season Series as Washington and New Jersey Face-Off?

The New Jersey Devils will head to the Capital One Arena on Saturday evening to take on the Washington Capitals in a Metropolitan Divisional matchup. This will be the third and final regular season game against one another as they split the first two games with the road team winning as the Devils picked up a 4-3 overtime road win back on January 2. New Jersey is last in the Metropolitan Division (22-35-5, 49 points), while Washington is fourth in the Metropolitan Division (35-19-10, 80 points). 

These teams are playing at two different levels, so this should be an intriguing matchup between these franchises and decide which team can win this third and final game. 

The Washington Capitals’ Wing Play Has to Lead the Way 

The Devils are doing pretty well on the offensive side of things as they are scoring three goals on 32.1 shot attempts this season. Left-winger Jesper Bratt has been doing decently well as he is tied for 26th in the NHL in assists and tied for 36th in the sport in points as he has added 60 points (21 goals, 39 assists) while scoring five points in his previous three games. On the defensive side, New Jersey is allowing 3.58 goals on 31.1 shots so far. Goaltender Jon Gillies has been struggling as he has been placed as their starter but has a 3-10-1 with a .887 save percentage with 3.74 goals allowed per game.   

Veteran left-winger Alex Ovechkin has been doing extremely well on the ice for Washington as he is fourth in the sport with goals and tied for eighth in points as he has recorded 76 points (40 goals, 36 assists) while also scoring six points in his last five games played. Washington has done well offensively as they are averaging 3.28 goals on 31.5 shots. Goalie Ilya Samsonov has been struggling inside of the net despite the 18-9-4 record as he has 2.95 goals allowed per game and a .900 save percentage. As a team defense, the Capitals are giving up 2.78 goals on 29.2 shot attempts.  

New Jersey Devils at Washington Capitals Betting Prediction

Washington is the better team on paper and should be able to dominate in this game. The major difference between these teams as of late seems to be on the defensive side of things as New Jersey is giving up six goals in their previous three games while Washington is allowing 2.75 goals in their last four games. The Devils are 28-34 against the spread this season, while the Caps are 34-30 against the spread. Go with the Washington Capitals to cover the puck line in this game.

* All odds provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.