New Jersey Devils vs Washington Capitals NHL Betting Prediction

NHL New Jersey vs Washington Capitals Prediction 1/3/2024

The New Jersey Devils (19-14-2) travel to face off against the Washington Capitals (18-11-6) on Wednesday, January 3rd. This game will be played at Capital One Arena in Washington. The Capitals are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Devils are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Bruins. Puck drop is set for 7:30 ET.

New Jersey Devils vs Washington Capitals

The New Jersey Devils Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

This season, the Devils have a mark of 19-14-2. When going on the road, New Jersey has a record of 11-6-0 record, while they are 8-8-2 at their home arena. In the Eastern Metropolitan division, they are currently 6th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 10th. This season, New Jersey’s average scoring margin is -0.1, which has their puck line record at 9-26. Their average home scoring margin is -0.4, and in road games, it stands at +.2.

In their most recent game, the Devils fell to the Bruins on the road by a score of 5-2. Scoring-wise, the Devils put up one goal during the first period and one time in the second period. Of New Jersey’s two goals, one were scored while in power play situations. Their game ended with 33 shots on goal and five giveaways.

As the underdog, New Jersey suffered both a straight-up and loss vs. the puck line. The teams surpassed the over/under line, which was set at 6 goals, with a combined total of 7 goals.

The Washington Capitals Are Coming Off A Win

For the season, the Capitals currently hold an overall record of 18-11-6. On the road, Washington has gone 9-7-2 and they are 9-4-4 at home. In the Eastern Metropolitan division, they are currently 5th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 8th. Washington’s average scoring margin this season is -0.5, leading to an overall puck line record of 15-20. At their home arena, they have a scoring margin of -0.2, while on the road, it is -0.7.

Facing the Penguins in their last game, the Capitals won by a score of 4-3. On offense, the Capitals scored four times in the first period, but that was all the scoring they could come up with for the game. Of Washington’s four goals, one came while in power play. They ended the game with 22 shots on goal and had six giveaways.

Despite being the underdog, Washington managed to secure a win against the puck line in the game. The over/under line going into the game was 6 goals, which the teams surpassed with their combined 7 goals.

New Jersey Offense Breakdown

The Devils come into the game scoring an average of 3.5 goals per game, putting them 11th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 18th in the league. New Jersey’s offense comes into the game ranked 6th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 26th in the NHL.

This season, the over/under record for the Devils’ is 22-12-1. Over the course of the season, they have had 23 games that exceeded the over/under line of 6.5. On average, their games are averaging 7 goals per game.

Washington Offense Breakdown

Offensively, the Capitals come into the game at 2.3 goals per contest placing 31st in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are in 30th position in the league. The Washington offense is ranked 32nd in power play goals. As for shorthanded goals, they find themselves at 29th in the NHL.

The Capitals’ over/under record this season is 12-22-1. For the season, they have had 26 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging 5.3 goals per game.

New Jersey Team Defense

The Devils’ defense comes into the game with a ranking of 16th in takeaways and an average of 7.1 takeaways per contest. They hold 29th place in the NHL for goals allowed, with an average of 3.3 goals given up per game.

Washington Team Defense

Defensively, the Capitals come into the season ranked 18th in goals allowed. Opponents are averging 31 shots per game against Washington. For the season, they are ranked 20th in shutouts, coming in with 2 shutouts.

Devils vs Capitals Trends

  • The Devils are 2-1 puck line in their three last road games and 2-1 straight-up.
  • In their last ten games at home, the Capitals have a straight up record of 4-6 while going 4-6 vs the spread. The team’s offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.
  • Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Washington has an puck line mark of 6-4 while going 3-7 straight up.
  • Across their last three matchups as the betting favorite, the Devils have an overall record of 3-0 while going 1-2 against the spread.

Devils vs Capitals Prediction

If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Capitals to take down the Devils at home. With the moneyline currently at +136, I’m placing my bet on the Capitals straight-up.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Capitals winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Capitals straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

When considering the over/under line, which is currently at 6.5 goals, we believe that this game will go over that threshold, and we recommend wagering on the over.


All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!


* All odds are 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.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.