by
- The Carolina Hurricanes enter the second round of the 2023 NHL Eastern Conference playoffs coming off a win in a six-game series with the NY Islanders.
- The New Jersey Devils moved onto the second round of the 2023 NHL playoffs after shutting out the New York Rangers 4-0 in the seventh game of their series.
- The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils split their 2023 NHL regular season series 2-2.
The Carolina Hurricanes decided their postseason fate in the final game of the 2023 NHL regular season. With their 6-4 win over the Florida Panthers, the Hurricanes finished the year with a 52-21-9 record, putting them one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils. That earned the ‘Canes the No. 1 spot in the Metropolitan Division. With their division-winning record, the Hurricanes became the third team since 2013 to win three consecutive division titles.
The Devils turned things around in a big way in 2023. The club finished the 2022 NHL regular season outside the playoffs with 63 points. However, the club racked up 112 points this year, which was good enough to end the year in the No. 3 spot in the Eastern Conference.
Before we look at the second-round matchup of the 2023 NHL Eastern Conference playoffs between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils, check out our guide to betting on the 2023 Stanley Cup and our tips for betting on the NHL.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils betting picks for NHL Eastern Conference Playoff Series
| To Win 2nd Round Eastern Conference Playoff Series |  |  |  |  |
| New Jersey Devils | -125 | -130 | -125 | -135 |
| Carolina Hurricanes | +105 | +110 | +105 | +115 |
Carolina Hurricanes betting breakdown
The Hurricanes finished the 2023 regular season with a 28-10-3 home record while going 24-11-6 on the road.
Martin Necas paced the Hurricanes in scoring for the 2023 NHL regular season. He led the team with 71 points and had the most assists on the club with 43. The team’s leading goal scorer was Sebastian Aho, with 36. Aho is the club’s leading goal scorer for the 2023 NHL playoffs with four goals. He also has the most points on the team, with seven. Meanwhile, Necas has three points for the postseason (1 goal, 2 assists.)
Carolina made a goalie change for Game 6 of their series against the Islanders, which paid off. Antti Raanta started the first five games of the Islanders’ series. He posted a 2.59 goals against average and a .906 save percentage. In Game 6, the club went with Frederick Andersen, and he played an excellent game, posting a 0.91 goals against average and a .971 save percentage in the 2-1 overtime win. Andersen likely gets the nod for Game 1 of the series against the Devils.
The Carolina power play was in the middle of the pack during the first round, connecting on 20 percent of the team’s chances. As for the club’s penalty kill, the ‘Canes are the best in the league heading into the second round of the 2023 NHL playoffs, killing off 94.4 percent of their penalties. Carolina allowed one power play goal during the first round.
New Jersey Devils betting breakdown
The Devils enter the 2023 NHL playoffs with a 24-13-4 home record and a 28-9-4 mark on the road. New Jersey wrapped up the 2023 NHL regular season with a 7-3-0 record in its final 10 games.
Jack Hughes had the best offensive season of his career in 2023. The No. 1 pick of the 2019 NHL entry draft, Hughes finished the year with a team-high 99 points. Hughes also led the Devils in goals (43) and assists (56). Erik Haula, who had 41 points in the 2023 NHL regular season, leads the Devils on points (6) and goals (4). Hughes has three goals and two assists heading into the second round of the playoffs.
The Devils pulled Vitek Vanecek after he lost the first two games in net for the team. Akira Schmid took over for Vanecek, and he has looked fantastic. Schmid showed the type of player he is in Game 7 when he was in net for the Devils’ 4-0 shutout win after losing Game 6 by a score of 5-1. Schmid has the top goals against average (1.38) and save percentage (.951) in the 2023 NHL playoffs.
The Devils’ power play could have been stronger in the first round, connecting at a 16.7 percent rate. However, the team played well on the penalty kill, stopping 82.1 percent of the Rangers’ power play chances.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils series schedule
- Game 1: Wed., May 3: Devils at Hurricanes, 7 p.m.; ESPN, SNE, SNO, SNP, TVAS
- Game 2: Fri., May 5: Devils at Hurricanes, 8 p.m.; TNT, SN, TVAS
- Game 3: Sun., May 7: Hurricanes at Devils, 3:30 p.m.; TBS, SN1, TVAS
- Game 4: Tue., May 9: Hurricanes at Devils, 7 p.m.; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Game 5*: Thu., May 11: Devils at Hurricanes, TBD; TNT, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Game 6*: Sat., May 13: Hurricanes at Devils, TBD; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
- Game 7*: Mon., May 15: Devils at Hurricanes, TBD; ESPN, SN, CBC, TVAS
*If necessary
Best bets for the Carolina Hurricanes vs. New Jersey Devils playoff series
This will be a low-scoring series. The matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils will come down to goaltending and the ability to capitalize on chances as they materialize. The Devils have the better goaltending, as long as Schmid continues his run, and I think the team’s best offensive players, like Jack Hughes, will come alive against the Hurricanes. The best bet is to pick the New Jersey Devils to move on to the 2023 NHL Eastern Conference Finals.
Pick: New Jersey Devils to beat the Carolina Hurricanes in six games during their 2023 NHL Eastern Conference playoff series.
See below the top sportsbooks where you can wager online and choose the best one for you:
