Game 1 Devils vs Hurricanes Prediction, Pick & Odds (Apr. 20)

• The Carolina Hurricanes are -210 home favorites in Game 1 of their Round 1 Stanley Cup Playoff series against the New Jersey Devils
• The teams split their 4-game regular season series this year
• Read below for Devils vs Hurricanes prediction, odds and prop pick for Sunday’s game on ESPN

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The Carolina Hurricanes (47-30-5, 37-45-0 ATS) have been in idle mode for quite some time, clinching a berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with games to spare. We’ll see how sharp they are when they open their Round 1 series with the New Jersey Devils (42-33-7, 32-50 ATS) on Sunday.

Action gets underway from the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, NC at 3pm ET, with ESPN providing broadcast coverage.

These teams split their four-game regular season series, with each team winning on their home ice twice. Carolina’s stellar home record has them as the hefty -210 betting favorite in Game 1. Can the Devils play spoiler in the opener?

Here is our Devils vs Hurricanes Game 1 prediction below.

New Jersey Devils vs Carolina Hurricanes Odds

The Hurricanes’ -210 moneyline odds means it’s going to take a $210 wager to make profit of $100 if you’re taking them to win straight up, while a nice $175 profit on a $100 bet awaits if you like Jersey to pull off the upset at +175. The goal total is set at 5.5, with the Over/Under record splitting at 4-4-2 in the last 10 meetings.

Odds as of April 20 at Bet365 Sportsbook. Browse the available NHL betting apps for Sunday’s games.

Carolina has the fourth-best Stanley Cup odds, at +900 over at DraftKings, while the Devils are down the board in the Bottom 5, with +4500 odds from Caesars

Hurricanes Will Finally Play Meaningful Game

With the second seed in the Metropolitan Division locked up with weeks to go, you can forgive the Carolina Hurricanes for taking it easy.

They slumped to a 1-6-1 finish over their final eight games of the regular season, opting for rest, recovery and health over chasing point totals.

SAVED BY SEBASTIAN AHO! 🤯

He pulled it off the goal line! pic.twitter.com/bLqM69laC2

— NHL (@NHL) March 29, 2025

But they’re legitimately strong on either side of the puck, ranking inside the Top 10 in the NHL this season in goals for (3.24) and goals against (2.80). Sebastian Aho paced the scoring attack this year, with a team-high 74 points, ranking second in goals with 29.

Carolina is hoping to make hay on home ice, where it set a franchise record in wins, going 31-9-1 at Lenovo, sharing the league lead in home wins with the LA Kings.

They’ve also won five straight at home against the Devils, topping them by multiple goals in their two wins over the Devils this season.

Devils With Question Marks Heading Into Game 1

Credit to first-year bench boss Sheldon Keefe for guiding the Devils into the postseason, just the fourth time the franchise has been there since a Cup run in 2012.

There are major question marks heading into this series, though. On the injury front, Jack Hughes (shoulder) won’t be available for this series, and he was a big-time playoff performer last time Jersey was in the playoffs, tallying six goals in their Round 1 series win over the Rangers.

Save of the year candidate from Jacob Markstrom. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/7pCo9uSUVK

— Emerald City Hockey (@EmeraldCityHky) January 7, 2025

Thankfully, Dougie Hamilton returned with a game left in the regular season, to help anchor a defense that held steady at fifth in goals allowed this season at 2.68 per contest.

The Devils will also have their top goalie Jacob Markstrom available, but he has not looked like his usual self since returning from a knee injury, going 5-7-1 in 13 games.

Devils vs Hurricanes Prediction

The Devils struggled down the home stretch of the regular season, but were lucky that there was little or no contention from the rest of the Metropolitan trying to track them down for third.

Jersey ended their campaign with just a single win over their final five games, getting outscored 17-6 in those losses.

Offense isn’t the Devils’ calling card, as they team ranked just outside the Bottom 10 in goals scored this season at 2.93 per contest.

Carolina was a powerhouse at home, ranking third in league scoring at 3.78 goals per game. I think they rediscover their form in front of a raucous crowd, and should pick up a win.

However, I’m not a big fan of the moneyline odds, and there’s just so much time off between meaningful games, for both teams. The teams combined for six or more goals in three of their four regular season meetings, so we’ll take the generous 5.5 goal line in this one.

• Devils vs Hurricanes Pick: Over 5.5 goals (+115 at Bet365)