New Jersey host Washington at Prudential Center on Friday, 13 November at 11:00 am AEDT, and the Devils enter this Metropolitan Division clash carrying momentum the Capitals have struggled to match. The home side sit sixth in the league at 13–5–0 for a .722 points percentage; the visitors are 9–6–0 (.600) and fourth in the division, four places and eight points adrift. Both sides are coming off wins, but the Devils have made a habit of it lately — five straight victories, the last four on the road before returning to Newark. Washington's recent form tells a bumpier story: three wins in the last five, but two of those losses were multi-goal affairs at home.
The market makes New Jersey clear favourites at 1.65, and on the balance of evidence, that line looks fair rather than overbaked. The Devils are rolling; the Capitals are functional but fragile when the puck gets loose. Our nhl predictions lean towards the home side, and we think there is a case for backing them outright despite the short price.
Who will win? The Devils' run makes the case
New Jersey's last five read like a clinic in finding ways to win: 4–0 at Toronto on Monday, 5–4 at the Islanders the night before, 5–4 over St Louis at home on the 6th, 4–3 over Edmonton two nights earlier, and 5–2 at Vegas to close out October. That is five wins in a row, four of them decided by a single goal or two, and the Devils have been averaging 4.6 goals in that stretch while conceding 2.6. Coming off a shutout win in their most recent outing, they return to Prudential Center where they have won both their last two starts — 5–4 over the Blues and 4–3 against the Oilers — by identical one-goal margins.
Washington's five-game sample is less convincing: a 4–3 home win over Florida on Sunday, sandwiched between two home losses (6–5 to Dallas and 1–5 to Minnesota), plus two narrow away wins over Nashville and a home victory against Philadelphia. The Capitals have averaged 3.8 goals for and 3.8 against across that run, with their two defeats both coming by margins wider than any of their wins. That scoring split — dead even over five — contrasts sharply with New Jersey's two-goal cushion per game in the same window.
The two sides met once already this season, in October, when Washington took it 4–2 on home ice. That result offers the visitors a thread of optimism, but it is a single data point against the grain of current form. New Jersey have since won five straight and are outscoring opponents by a better than three-to-two ratio; Washington have been up and down, and their defensive numbers this season — 3.4 goals against per game and a .878 save percentage — are markedly worse than the Devils' 2.83 and .886.
The Devils also boast a 57.7 per cent Corsi rating, controlling possession at a level Washington (50.8 per cent) cannot match. Jack Hughes leads New Jersey with nine goals and sixteen assists; Jesper Bratt has eighteen points (three goals, fifteen assists), and Arseny Gritsyuk has chipped in eight goals. The Capitals counter with Jordan Kyrou (five goals, nine assists), Dylan Strome (three goals, eleven assists), and Alex Tuch (eleven goals, two assists), but the overall depth and balance tilts towards the home side.
At 1.65, New Jersey are short, but they are also the better team in better form on home ice. We think the price is about right, and the value sits with backing them to extend the winning streak to six.
Tipped at $1.65 · . Opinion, not a guarantee. Gamble responsibly — 18+.
Head-to-head context
Season and last-five scoring — context for the match-winner market.
Leading scorers
Season goals and assists.
New Jersey Devils
| Player | G-A |
|---|---|
| Jack HughesC | 10G 17A |
| Jesper BrattW | 4G 16A |
| Arseny GritsyukRW | 8G 8A |
Washington Capitals
| Player | G-A |
|---|---|
| Dylan StromeC | 3G 12A |
| Jordan KyrouC | 5G 9A |
| Alex TuchRW | 11G 2A |
What are the risks?
Washington can score — 3.53 goals per game this season, only marginally behind New Jersey's 3.61 — and four of the Devils' last five wins came by a goal or two. If the Capitals get their power play clicking (20 per cent on the season, fractionally better than New Jersey's 19.3) and the goaltending holds up, they are more than capable of nicking a result. The October head-to-head also reminds us that this matchup is not one-sided on paper, even if the current form lines suggest otherwise.
New Jersey's penalty kill has been leaky this year — 67.57 per cent, well below Washington's 76.47 — and if the Devils spend too much time shorthanded, the Capitals could make them pay. A tight game that turns on special teams would bring the 2.15 away price into play, and bettors backing the Devils need to be comfortable laying short quotes on a side that has been winning narrow.
The verdict
New Jersey are the better side, in better form, and playing at home. Washington have shown they can compete, but their defensive fragility and uneven recent record make them hard to trust on the road against a Devils outfit that has won five straight and is scoring freely. We are backing the Devils to make it six in a row, and we think the 1.65 quote, while short, reflects the balance of probabilities rather than an inflated line. This is not a bet for those chasing long prices, but it is the side we want on Friday morning.