New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Game Preview, Predictions, Odds, Betting Tips & more | Nov 16th 2023

The New Jersey Devils are set to clash against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast live across various platforms such as ESPN+ and SportsNet Pittsburgh.

The contest can be listened to on the radio on WFAN 66 AM - 101.9 FM and WESA 90.5 - Pittsburgh's NPR News.

New Jersey Devils game preview

The Devils are 7-6-1 this season and were defeated 6-3 by the Winnipeg Jets in their last game. The Devils have scored 3.64 goals per game while allowing 3.86 goals per game.

Jesper Bratt has been outstanding for New Jersey, scoring seven goals and providing 13 assists in 14 games, totaling 20 points. Another key player contributing to New Jersey's offense this season is Jack Hughes, who has managed to score five goals and 15 assists.

In goal, Akira Schmid has a record of 1-3-1, with an average of 3.5 goals against per game and a save percentage of .885.

Brian Halonen (Lower Body), Nico Daws (Hip), Nolan Foote (Upper Body), Nico Hischier (Upper Body) and Jack Hughes (Upper Body) are sidelined due to injuries.

Pittsburgh Penguins game preview

The Pittsburgh Penguins have a record of 8-6-0 after defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets in their last game, with the final score 5-3. On average, the Penguins score 3.64 goals per game while allowing an average of 2.64.

Sidney Crosby has been a key player for Pittsburgh, contributing a total of 19 points with a scoring average of 0.7 goals per game and maintaining a shooting accuracy of 18.9%. Jake Guentzel is another standout for Pittsburgh, with six goals and 12 assists accumulating a total of 18 points at a rate of 1.3 points per game.

Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic has a record of 1-1-0 in the two games played where he allowed six goals and made 63 saves.

Will Butcher (Undisclosed), Mark Pysyk (Lower Body), John Ludvig (Concussion) and Alex Nedeljkovic (Lower Body) are unavailable for today's match due to injuries.

New Jersey Devils lines

Forwards

• Tyler Toffoli
• Michael Mcleod
• Jesper Bratt
• Timo Meier

Defensemen

• Luke Hughes
• Dougie Hamilton
• John Marino

Goalies

• Vitek Vanecek
• Akira Schmid

Pittsburgh Penguins lines

Forwards

• Jake Guentzel
• Sidney Crosby
• Bryan Rust
• Evgeni Malkin

Defensemen

• Ryan Graves
• Kris Letang
• Erik Karlsson

Goalies

• Tristan Jarry
• Magnus Hellberg

New Jersey Devils vs. Pittsburgh Penguins: Odds & prediction

Both teams seem to be evenly matched in terms of offensive capabilities; however, the Penguins have a better defense compared to the Devils. The absence of Hughes puts the Devils at a disadvantage while the Penguins are at their peak with five wins in a row.

The Penguins are the favorites with odds of -146, while the Devils are seen as the underdogs with odds set at +122. With the added home turf advantage, the Penguins should win this game.