The Scotiabank Saddledome will play host to an intriguing tilt as the Calgary Flames take on the visiting New Jersey Devils. This cross-continent matchup gets going at 9 p.m. ET on Thursday, November 7 and it can be seen live on Sportsnet West.
New Jersey Devils at Calgary Flames Odds
Calgary (-175) is currently noticeably favored over New Jersey (+155) and the Over/Under (O/U) is set at 7 goals. If bettors want to wager on this game’s total, they’ll be looking at odds of -110 money on the over and -110 on the under.
The Flames are 9-9 straight-up (SU) and have punished moneyline bettors to the tune of -1.9 units so far. That early-season winning percentage is a noticeable slide from what the team managed during the 2018-19 season (50-32). 10 of the team’s 18 games have gone under the total, while seven have gone over and just one has pushed. The team’s 5-2 SU at home so far this year.
Calgary’s converted on 17.2 percent of its power play opportunities this year, a figure that’s right around league average. On the other hand, its penalty kill is ranked fourth overall, and it’s successfully killed off 87.9 percent of all penalties.
Calgary, as a collective unit, has been whistled for penalties 4.3 times per game overall this season, and 3.6 per game over its last five home outings. The team’s had to kill penalties for just 7.2 minutes per game over its last five matchups, overall.
Averaging 30.1 saves per game with a .915 save percentage, David Rittich (8-6-2) has been the top goalkeeper for the Flames this season. If they choose to rest him, however, the team may turn to Cam Talbot (1-4-4 record, .899 save percentage, 2.84 goals against average).
The Flames will continue seeking offensive production from Matthew Tkachuk and Elias Lindholm. Tkachuk (18 points) has produced nine goals and nine assists and has recorded multiple points on three separate occasions this year. Lindholm has 10 goals and six assists to his name and has recorded at least one point in 13 games.
New Jersey has lost 5.3 units for moneyline bettors thus far and is currently 4-9 straight up (SU). Through 13 regular season matches, nine of its games have gone over the total, while four have gone under the total and none have pushed. New Jersey’s 2-3 SU as the visiting team this season.
New Jersey has converted on just 14.0 percent of its power play opportunities this season, a figure that places it in the bottom-10 overall among NHL teams. On the other hand, its penalty kill unit is ranked 24th overall and it’s successfully killed off 76.1 percent of all penalties.
New Jersey’s players have been called for penalties 4.2 times per game this season. Last year, that number was at 3.8, which was the fifth-worst mark in the league. After serving an average of 9.1 penalty minutes per game a season ago the team has had to kill penalties for 9.5 minutes per outing this year.
MacKenzie Blackwood (22.8 saves per game) has been the primary choice in goal for New Jersey. Blackwood owns a 4-5-3 record, and has registered a .891 save percentage and 2.91 goals against average this year.
For the visiting Devils, the offense will be heavily coordinated by Taylor Hall (two goals, 11 assists) and Kyle Palmieri (six goals, four assists).
New Jersey Devils at Calgary Flames Free Picks
Free NHL Pick: SU Winner – Flames, O/U – Over
Betting Notes
- The over has hit in four of New Jersey’s last five outings.
- New Jersey has managed 27.0 shot attempts per game over its last five road games while Calgary is averaging 35.2 shots per game over its last five at home.
- The Devils are 2-4 in games where they serve fewer penalty minutes than their opponent and 1-7 when they’re in the penalty box for fewer than 10 minutes, total.
- New Jersey is 1-3 in games decided by a shootout this season while Calgary is 2-0 in shootouts.
- Calgary has created 10.2 takeaways per game over its last five home games, an improvement over its season average of 8.3 takeaways per game (ranked 6th).
- Calgary might hold an advantage if it’s a close one late. The team’s 5-3 in games decided by one goal, while New Jersey is 2-4 in such games.
