New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes Game 1 Prediction – 4/20/2025

The New Jersey Devils are set to host the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, April 20, 2025, at 3:00 PM at the Prudential Center. This game is crucial for both teams as they look for a Game 1 win in their best-of-seven playoff series in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes Game 1 Preview

The Devils have lost four of their last five games going into the playoffs. But they finished comfortably in the third position in the Atlantic Division this year. While the Devils are underdogs in this series opening game and in this series as a whole, they have proven they can hold their own against the Hurricanes this season, going 2-2 against Carolina. While the home team has won all four games played between these teams this season, the Devils will look to buck that trend and pick up a victory to take a 1-0 series lead.

The Hurricanes have also lost four of their last five games going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But they have home-ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs and will look to take advantage of that in this matchup. Carolina has been a legitimate Stanley Cup contender for the last few years but has failed to get the job done against other elite teams in the Eastern Conference. They will look to begin the process of changing that by grabbing a win here and potentially setting the tone for their entire postseason.

Betting Insights

Going into this matchup, the Hurricanes are favorites on their home ice, with odds of -210. New Jersey comes in at +175 to get the win on the other side of this contest. The total goals line for this series opening matchup has been set at 5.5 goals, which is juiced to -135 on the under side of that market.

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes Game 1 Prediction

Both of these teams have limped into the postseason, but this game could go either way in our opinion. These teams have been very evenly matched so far this year and there might be some value in the Devils as an underdog here, even if home teams have consistently held serve in their season series in the 2024-25 campaign. Considering these factors, the prediction is a 3-2 victory for the New Jersey Devils.

As always, it's important to consider all variables and bet responsibly.

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