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RebetFree-to-play social sportsbook with sweepstakes prizesClaim →Anaheim Ducks5th in the Pacific DivisionNew Jersey Devils5th in the Metropolitan DivisionSame record, 4-4-0 each. Same slot, fifth of eight in their own divisions. Same number next to the name of each club's scoring leader: nine. Anaheim Ducks at New Jersey Devils is as symmetrical as a hockey matchup gets on paper, right up until you read who is not dressing. That is where a flat matchup starts to tilt, and it is where bettors usually find their edge before a price is even posted.
Puck drop is Thursday, October 22, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET at Prudential Center. As of this writing on October 20, both clubs sit at 4-4-0. In hockey records, that reads as four wins, four regulation losses, zero overtime or shootout losses, so neither team has banked a single loser point yet. Anaheim is fifth of eight in the Pacific Division.
New Jersey is fifth of eight in the Metropolitan Division. The season series starts on October 22, so there is no head to head history from this season to lean on. If you searched Devils vs Ducks hoping for a trend line from an earlier meeting, there is not one. This is game one.
Jack Hughes leads the Devils with nine. Leo Carlsson leads the Ducks with nine. Identical production from the top of each lineup, and both carry heavier loads than a typical first line center because of who is unavailable behind them. For Anaheim, Carlsson's nine now sits on a forward group missing Troy Terry, one of its most established scorers. For New Jersey, Hughes has help thinned out too, but the Devils are losing depth pieces rather than a primary finisher. That distinction matters more than the raw records do.
Odds are not posted for this game yet, so we are not quoting prices we cannot see. Here is what will post and what each piece means. The moneyline is a straight bet on who wins the game, overtime and shootout included. The puck line is hockey's spread, almost always set at a goal and a half, so the favorite must win by two or more and the underdog can lose by exactly one and still cash. The total is the combined goals by both teams, and you pick over or under.
Every one of those markets carries vig, the built in house margin inside the price. Strip the vig out and you get the market implied probability, which is the market's read on how often the bet wins, not a guarantee and not the real odds. When this game does post, check multiple books. A half goal on the total or a few cents on the moneyline is the difference between a long term winner and a long term loser.
The Desk leans New Jersey. The logic is simple and it is based only on what we have. Two even clubs, one at home, and the away side is down three forwards including its most recognizable scorer. Anaheim's nine from Carlsson gets harder to replicate when the supporting cast thins.
When the price posts, compare the market implied probability (vig removed) to the best price you can actually bet. If the best number across books pays more than that implied probability suggests it should, the bet has positive expected value, meaning your average result per $100 risked is a profit over many repeats. If it pays less, pass. Expected value is the entire job. Price first, side second.
Six names total. For New Jersey: Anthony Mantha is day to day, Connor Brown is on injured reserve, Nick Bjugstad is on injured reserve. For Anaheim: Ian Moore, Ryan Poehling and Troy Terry are all on injured reserve. Three a side by count, but the quality is not balanced. Terry on IR is the single heaviest absence on either list.
New Jersey Devils moneyline, taken at the best available price once the market opens. No book can be named yet because nothing is posted. If the Devils open at a short number and no book offers value, the disciplined move is to skip it. This is Wise Guy Desk analysis, not a documented official play.
We project Devils 4, Ducks 3, seven goals, a one goal game decided late. That score is why we prefer the moneyline to the puck line here: Ducks vs Devils projects as the kind of game where New Jersey wins without covering a goal and a half. That is the read on this number. The Desk posts a documented free play on days like this one, and it sits right below.
Two 4-4-0 teams, two leaders tied at nine, and a short-handed Anaheim forward group: the Desk leans New Jersey at home, price shopping required.
Two 4-4-0 teams, two leaders tied at nine, and a short-handed Anaheim forward group: the Desk leans New Jersey at home, price shopping required. The full read, including a projected final score, is in The Prediction section above.
Yes. This is a free Wise Guy Desk breakdown, our analysis, not Ross's official plays. Ross's documented plays are bet with real money and graded win or loss on the members board.
Expected value first: the best price across the regulated US books we track versus the true fair price with the vig removed, then the matchup data (form, standings, injuries, key players). Line shopping for the best number is the edge most bettors leave on the table.
More for this game: NHL picks today · NHL betting splits · DraftKings betting splits
This preview was produced with AI assistance from live data feeds and reviewed by automated checks. Odds and availability change constantly and may differ from what's shown - always verify the current line at your sportsbook before betting. Found an error? memberservice@wiseguyteam.com.
21+. For entertainment and educational purposes, not financial advice. Wise Guy Desk reads are analysis, not guaranteed outcomes. If gambling stops being fun, take a break. 1-800-GAMBLER.
