The New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabers will open the 2024-25 NHL season with a showdown in Prague on Friday.
Both teams missed the playoffs last spring, but there is reason for optimism on both sides heading into the new season.
For the Devils, that optimism is based on a revamped blue line and the acquisition of goaltender Jacob Markstrom. The betting market believes the additions of Markstrom, Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon and several depth forwards were enough to establish New Jersey as the betting favorite to win the Metropolitan Division. .
Things are a little muted when it comes to Buffalo's chances of ending their 13-year playoff drought, but the fact that the Sabers burned so many people last season makes the market's against them heading into Opening Day This has led to a colder outlook.
So it's no surprise to see the Devils sitting as -156 favorites to win Friday's season-opening FanDuel in the Czech Republic.
Sabers vs. Devils odds
| team | money line | pack line | total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saber | +130 | +1.5 (-184) | o6.5 (-104) |
| devil | -156 | -1.5 (+152) | u6.5 (+115) |
The strangest part of Buffalo's stumble last season was that the defense was vastly improved.
The Sabers have long been looking for stability on the back end and in goal, and they finally got it in 2023-24. The downside was that the offense took a big step back from the high numbers it posted in the 2022-23 season.
All of this combined to lead the Sabers to make a coaching change, bringing Lindy Ruff back to Western New York after serving on the bench in Buffalo from 1997 to 2013.
Ruff was released by the Devils at the end of last season, but led New Jersey to a surprising playoff berth in 2022-23. This version of the Sabers has many of the same qualities as the Devils team.
The Devils are the favorite to win the Metropolitan Division, and there's a lot of merit to that prediction, but it could take some time for this team to gel. Markstrom has been an elite goaltender in previous seasons, but he's been clumsy and isn't sure he'll be able to come in and excel right away.
Would you bet on the NHL?
The same goes for the revamped blueline, which will feature the steady presence of Pesce and Dillon, who will play alongside Dougie Hamilton, Simon Nemec, and eventually Luke Hughes.
This looks like a situation where the betting market is a little ahead of the Devils.
Sabers vs. Devils picks
The Sabers have some value as underdogs, and we also recommend supporting Jack Quinn to find the back of the net at +360 and be the game's first scorer at 22/1.
Quinn missed most of last season due to injury, but he was great when he joined the team and will play a key role on the second line and top power play.
Bet: Saber (+125 or higher, FanDuel) | Jack Quinn scores (+360 | Quinn first) (22/1)
Why trust New York Post Betting?
Michael Levov told the New York Post that he handicaps the EPL, NHL, golf, and anything other than the NFL and NBA. He bet on EPL and gained 49.73 units, giving him an ROI of 7.17%.
