Pinnacle   +135   BET365  +135   Sportsinteraction  +135 888port  +135

Posted at 8:00AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Florida +130 over New Jersey

Prudential Center – Newark, NJ

7:00 PM ET. OT included. The Devils return home for their curtain-raiser after a decent road swing, and the market is treating them like they’re fully operational. They’re not.

New Jersey’s crease situation is a mess. Jacob Markstrom is out “a couple of weeks,” and while the spin from coach Sheldon Keefe made it sound minor, any time your 35-year-old goaltender goes down holding something late in a game, that’s not a blip — it’s a red flag. That leaves the Devils turning to Jake Allen, who cramped up midgame last time out, or Nico Daws, who hasn’t seen an NHL crease in a while. Either way, we’re not talking about stability here.

Meanwhile, the Panthers are taking back a tag that makes zero sense. They’ve dropped two straight, both on the road, and that’s all the market sees — a tired team at the end of a back-to-back. What’s being ignored is who they are. Florida just came off a perfect homestand where they controlled play against three playoff-caliber opponents. They’ve got championship experience, a deep lineup, and a culture built on accountability. Two road losses don’t erase that.

When you peel it back, this number doesn’t add up. New Jersey is laying chalk at home without their starting goalie, with an untested backup and a defense that hasn’t looked sharp early. Florida, on the other hand, is getting healthier, deeper, and angrier after being stonewalled by blocked shots and bad puck luck.

This one smells like an overreaction to scheduling and a shiny home opener. The Devils are being priced as if they’re automatic in this building, but the truth is the situation heavily favors the visitor. We’ll gladly grab the two-time champs at a plus price against a team running on fumes in goal.

Take advantage of BET365's early MLB payout offer! 

For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 5 runs ahead at any stage during the game, BET365 will pay out your bet in full regardless of whether the opposition comes back to win the game.

For parlays and Same Game Parlays, if a team you have backed goes 5 runs ahead, this selection will be marked as won within My Bets, with the remaining selections left to run.

Here is a wager we were paid out early on that would eventually lose. 

v