New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes 5/5/2023 Predictions, Free Picks and Odds
East 2nd Round – Game 2, CAR leads series 1-0
The New Jersey Devils are looking to rebound from a 5-1 loss in Game One of the Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes. The Devils want to tie the series, while the Hurricanes hope to take a 2-0 series lead. The game will be a thrilling matchup, as both teams are desperate for a win. The Devils’ offense was shut down in Game One, as they only scored one goal. The top two lines, featuring Jack Hughes, Ondrej Palat, and Erik Haula, have been the main contributors of goals and assists for the team, but the rest of the offense has been quiet.
Jesper Bratt and Dougie Hamilton, who had 54 goals and 93 assists in the regular season, have only two goals and five assists in the playoffs so far. The Devils’ defense was solid in the First Round, giving up only 17 goals, but they stumbled in Game One against the Hurricanes, giving up five goals. The top pair of Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Seigenthaler played well, but the rest of the defense struggled, allowing the Hurricanes too many chances. Also, goalie Akira Schmid had a rough night, giving up three goals on just 11 shots before being pulled for Vitek Vanecek, who is expected to start for the rest of the series.
- New Jersey is 15-5 SU in their last 20 games against an opponent in the Metropolitan Division.
- The total stayed UNDER in 6 of New Jersey’s last 9 games played in May.
- The total went OVER in 5 of New Jersey’s last 7 games played on a Friday.
New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes 5/5/2023 Predictions, Free Picks and Odds
The Hurricanes put on a clinic in Game One, with their offense firing on all cylinders and scoring five goals. Leading the way were Sebastian Aho, Jesper Fast, and Seth Jarvis, who combined for 10 goals and seven assists in the playoffs, and each contributed two goals and two assists to the win. But it wasn’t just the top line that was effective; Jordan Martinook, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Jordan Staal all pitched in with a goal and four assists, while Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei added two goals from the blue line to seal the win.
The defense was equally impressive, holding their opponents to just one goal in Game One. In fact, the Hurricanes have been stingy on defense throughout the playoffs, allowing only 16 goals so far. Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin anchored the top pairing, while Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Shayne Gostisbehere provided depth and created turnovers in all three zones. Goaltender Frederik Andersen was also sharp, stopping 17 of the 18 shots he faced in the game.
- The Carolina Hurricanes are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games at home against New Jersey.
- The total stayed UNDER in 10 of Carolina’s last 15 games with a team in the Metropolitan Division.
- The total remained UNDER in 6 of Carolina’s last 9 games played in May.
New Jersey Devils vs. Carolina Hurricanes. The NHL Pick for this contest is the Carolina Hurricanes. This matchup features two strong defenses. Both the Devils and Hurricanes are giving up less than 3 goals per game. We expect this to be a low-scoring affair, as the under has hit in 6 of the Devils’ and 7 of the Hurricanes’ last 10 games. Our best bet is the Under 5.5. My prediction is that the Carolina Hurricanes will win, but the New Jersey Devils will cover the spread and the total will stay under 2-1.
NHL Starting Time: 8:00 PM ET
Location: PNC Arena in Raleigh, NC
Date: Friday, May 5, 2023
TV: TNT
NHL Odds/Point Spread: Carolina Hurricanes -115
NHL Totals: 5.5
