New Jersey Devils vs New York Rangers Prediction - The Hudson River Rivalry Return
Updated March 18, 2026
Updated March 18, 2026
The Hudson River rivalry lands at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night with two clubs carrying very different pressure into the building. New Jersey enters after a dramatic 4 to 3 overtime win over Boston and has gone 6 and 2 in its last 8. New York had its four game winning streak snapped in a 4 to 1 home loss to Los Angeles, yet the Rangers have still played better hockey since the Olympic break. From a betting view, this board is tight for good reason. The Devils have been the stronger side in the season series and own the better overall record, but the Rangers still have the best goaltender in this meeting and are far more dangerous at home than their raw home mark suggests when Igor Shesterkin is in rhythm. That push and pull makes this one of the more interesting NHL prices on the Wednesday card.
Market | Devils | Rangers |
|---|---|---|
Spread | -1.5 at +225 | +1.5 at -278 |
Moneyline | -115 | -105 |
Total | Over 5.5 at -135 | Under 5.5 at +114 |
New Jersey comes in with the better recent run and with fresh confidence against this rival. The Devils beat the Rangers 6-3 on March 7 behind a Jack Hughes hat trick and four point night, and they followed that up with wins over Los Angeles and Boston in the last four days. Hughes is up to 17 goals and 34 assists for 51 points, Jesper Bratt leads the club with 52 points and 37 assists, and Nico Hischier has a team best 23 goals. The Devils are also getting active offense from depth pieces, which matters in a rivalry game where the checking tends to tighten. Paul Cotter scored twice against Boston, Connor Brown had a goal and an assist, and New Jersey erased an early 2 goal deficit in that win.
The biggest concern for the Devils is in net. Jacob Markstrom is the expected starter and his season line is shaky at 20 wins, 16 losses, 1 overtime loss, a 3.10 goals against average, and a .885 save percentage. His recent team results have been good, but the season profile still points to leakage. That matters against a Rangers power play that has picked up lately and against a club that has been generating timely offense even during an uneven season.
New York is hard to price because the team profile and the goaltending profile tell different stories. The Rangers are 28-31-8 overall and just 9-16-6 at home. They are last in the Eastern Conference standings by points, yet they were also 6-2-2 in their last 10 before this one. Shesterkin is the reason any number on New York stays short. He is 22-13-6 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. He has earned points in 12 of his last 14 decisions and has helped the Rangers win 4 of their last 5.
There is also some lineup intrigue for New York. Matt Rempe remains out. J.T. Miller is back on the top power play unit, while Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck, and Adam Fox remain the key drivers. Zibanejad leads the Rangers with 63 points, 27 goals, and 36 assists. Lafreniere has 19 goals and has been one of the club’s hottest skaters in March. Gabe Perreault has also given the Rangers more life than they had for long stretches earlier in the year.
New Jersey is missing Brett Pesce and Stefan Noesen, which affects the blue line depth and the forecheck. Still, the Devils have been the more complete five on five club in this pairing and have generated 35 shots in the latest meeting.
This is the second time these two meet in March and there will be a third game on March 31.
Past meetings strongly favor New Jersey in the short term. The Devils won the most recent clash 6 to 3 on March 7. Looking at the last 10 meetings, the clubs are split 5 and 5 straight up, but the under has cashed in 7 of those 10 meetings. The recent Devils edge is more striking than the full sample. New Jersey has won 4 of the last 5 against New York and has held the Rangers to 3 goals or fewer in each of those wins.
Team style also adds context. New Jersey averages 2.63 goals per game and allows 3.05. The Devils put 29.9 shots on goal per game, a clear edge over New York at 25.2. The Rangers average 2.79 goals per game and allow 3.12. On special teams, New York has a slight power play edge at 24.6% against 22.2% for New Jersey, but the Devils have been the better recent side in this rivalry and were a clean 3 for 3 on the power play in the March 7 win.
Player | Prop |
|---|---|
Jack Hughes | Over 3.5 shots on goal |
Jesper Bratt | Over 0.5 assists |
Mika Zibanejad | Over 0.5 points |
Igor Shesterkin | Over 29.5 saves |
Hughes is the prop that stands out first. He burned New York for 3 goals and 1 assist in the last meeting and is coming off a 3 assist night against Boston. Bratt remains the best setup option on the New Jersey side with 37 assists, and he has been productive through March. For New York, Zibanejad is the most stable scoring anchor with 63 points and heavy power play usage. Shesterkin save volume also deserves attention because New Jersey owns the shot edge in this pairing and regularly forces opposing goalies into work.
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This matchup points strongly toward a tight, controlled game, and that shapes the betting approach more than the side itself. With a total sitting at 5.5 and both teams trending toward lower scoring outcomes in recent meetings, the presence of Igor Shesterkin becomes a central factor. He has been the most reliable player on the ice in this rivalry lately and gives New York a clear path to stay within one goal regardless of overall team form.
New Jersey still carries advantages. The Devils have been sharper at even strength, they are generating more shots, and they have had the upper hand in recent head-to-head games. Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt are driving consistent offense, and New Jersey’s depth has stepped up over the past week. However, those edges are somewhat muted in a game environment where chances are likely to be limited and goaltending plays a larger role in the outcome.
That is why the total stands out as the strongest position. Seven of the last ten meetings between these teams have stayed under, and both clubs have shown a tendency to tighten up in rivalry spots. Even with New Jersey coming off higher scoring games, their road profile remains more conservative, and the Rangers lean heavily on Shesterkin to control pace at home.
As for the side, the projection still gives a slight edge to the Devils based on overall team play and recent results, but the gap is narrow. In a low scoring game, variance increases, and that makes the Rangers a reasonable live underdog option rather than a clear fade. The most consistent angle remains the under, with an expected final in the 3 to 2 range.
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