Devils Open as Big Underdogs For Round One

Without Jack Hughes and a subdued finishing kick, the New Jersey Devils are big underdogs in their Round One series against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The NHL has not yet announced the schedule for Round One, but when it begins next week, Carolina is more than a two-to-one favorite.

The NHL betting sites list the Devils as a +230 underdog, meaning every dollar bet on a Devils win would pay out $2.30. Perhaps those setting the odds aren’t factoring in the return of defenseman Dougie Hamilton.

Carolina has won four straight Round One series but lost three of the last four Round Two series. They have not advanced to the Stanley Cup Final since they won the Cup in 2005-06.

Of course, the Eastern Conference playoff brackets aren’t yet final as the battle for the second wild-card spot has come down to Game 82. If Montreal earns a point, they will end their playoff drought a year or three ahead of schedule. However, if they lose and Columbus wins in regulation, then Columbus will cap its own Cinderella story after suffering the heartbreaking loss of Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed by an alleged drunk driver last summer.

Should the Devils get past the Carolina Hurricanes’ unique man-to-man defense, they will face the winner of the Round One series between the Washington Capitals and Columbus/Montreal. That unique series will feature two teams that did not make the playoffs last season.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Maple Leafs will open as a slight favorite against their arch-rival Ottawa Senators. The series figures to be a bloodbath as the Senators are led by Team USA pot-stirrer Brady Tkachuk. Ottawa is breaking a playoff drought that extends back to 2017.

Toronto is -176 to win, but Ottawa is +142. In other words, oddsmakers are hedging their bets against Toronto, which is perennially bad in the postseason.

The other settled Eastern Conference series will be a slobberknocker as well, but neither team will leave the state of Florida. The defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, who are also the two-time defending Eastern Conference winners, face the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tampa Bay has home ice advantage, but Florida is getting bettors’ money.

Florida is currently a -120 favorite, while Tampa Bay is +100 to win the series.

It’s not a great payout, but we really like Tampa Bay for the upset here. They have too many goal scorers and are far healthier than is Florida.