Devils vs. Oilers prediction: NHL odds, picks, best bets for Monday

The Devils continue to struggle to find consistency in the early going of coach Sheldon Keefe’s tenure.

After an imposing 6-0 win in Vancouver on Wednesday, they were bested 3-0 by the Flames on Friday in a matchup they were heavily favored to win. 

While the Oilers are still considered Cup favorites at +750, the Devils are catching them in an ideal spot on Monday.

The Oilers played a hotly contested Battle of Alberta on Sunday in Calgary, and they will be without the game’s best player, Connor McDavid, on Monday.

Devils vs Oilers Odds TeamMoneylineSpreadTotalDevils-130-1.5 (+185)Over 6.5 (-110)Oilers+110+1.5 (-225)Under 6.5 (-110) Devils vs Oilers Prediction

(8:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network)

The Oilers have had an impressive run without McDavid. They have two wins in regulation and outscored Nashville and Calgary 9-3. Edmonton managed just one win in five games without McDavid last season, though.

It’s a common theme across all sports to see teams able to step up with key players out of the lineup once or twice but not able to sustain that play over a larger sample. 

It’s not like the Oilers looked like world-beaters before McDavid’s injury this season, either. They have played to a record of 6-5-1 and hold a -7 goal differential. A lack of depth on the back end looks like a concern. Darnell Nurse continues to struggle mightily and is still averaging 21:23 minutes of time on ice. 

The Oilers will likely start backup Calvin Pickard in this back-to-back spot. While Pickard has outperformed Stuart Skinner to this point, he has still struggled, posting a .897 save percentage and -0.3 GSAx in five appearances this season.

While the Devils have posted several letdown performances this season, their roster composition still looks excellent, and their underlying numbers are strong. In 14 games, they hold a 56.44% expected goal share.

They have seven regulation wins and a +8 goal differential. 

Jack Hughes looks to turn the Devils season around starting on Monday. NHLI via Getty Images

The Devils offer one of the league’s best 1-2 punches down the middle with Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, which is consistent with the majority of Stanley Cup-winning rosters.

Hughes and Hischier are supported by a number of highly skilled wingers, such as Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt, and the Devils’ top-six still projects to be one of the best in the NHL.

Below-average goaltending has plagued New Jersey for several seasons, so general manager Tom Fitzgerald paid a handsome fee to acquire an elite starter in Jakob Markstrom from the Flames and Jake Allen at the last trade deadline.

Goaltending is difficult to project, but that duo should be able to post better results than we have seen thus far.

Based on their convincing play in other facets of the game, if the Devils start to receive league-average goaltending as expected, they could be one of the league’s best teams this season. 

Connor McDavid is always a lot to handle when he’s on the ice. NHLI via Getty Images Betting on the NHL? Check out the best NHL betting sites Read our expert guide on how to bet on the NHL Get the latest Stanley Cup Odds Devils vs Oilers Pick

The Devils’ deep offense has plenty of speed and skill to expose an Oilers side that hasn’t been overly convincing defensively this season.

This looks like a good spot to back a bounce-back performance as they take on an Edmonton side that currently looks overvalued in the betting markets. 

At -135 or better, I see value in backing the Devils on Monday. 

Pick: Devils ML (-135, bet365)