The New Jersey Devils are currently in the middle of a brutal schedule to open the season. The team will travel for six road games during its first seven games of the year and will tonight visit a Vancouver Canucks team that has put up 11 points during its last two games. The Devils lost their home opener to the New York Islanders on Friday in a 4-3 shootout loss, while the Canucks handily won their home opener 6-2 over the Edmonton Oilers.

Last season Vancouver easily won its division, but after the offseason conference realignment is now in a brutal Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Kings, San Jose Sharks, and Anaheim Ducks. The Canucks are going to have their work cut out for them if they plan on staying at the top of the standings this season. New Jersey was placed in the Metropolitan Division, where the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers are at the top, and is expected to barely edge out the Carolina Hurricanes for last palace—an 0-2 start does not help matters.

Devils at Canucks Betting Story Lines

Vancouver scored five goals during its home opener against the Oilers by the end of the second period and then followed that up with another five goals during its matchup against the Calgary Flames. The Canucks are expected to be a team that is right in the middle of the playoff hunt, and after two straight first-round eliminations, the team is hoping to be much more than a one-and-done postseason stepping stone. Vancouver will probably be playing with a chip on its shoulder, especially with the addition of former Rangers head coach John Tortorella.

The Devils had a difficult offseason as they were placed in a new division, sold to a new set of owners, and they lost most of their players from the previous year. The team was outscored 7-3 during its first two games of the season and as of Monday morning was still winless. Experts believe that New Jersey will have a difficult time scoring this season as a result of its new-look roster. The Devils may only be two years removed from a Stanley Cup Finals appearance, but the team lost its two biggest stars during that span as well as last season’s leading scorer. The outlook for the Devils this season is not good.

The Canucks are coming off of one day of rest and last played on Sunday in a 5-4 win over the Flames. New Jersey is on the second night of a road back-to-back as they visited Edmonton on Monday. Vancouver will also be starting a three-game homestand during Tuesday’s matchup against New Jersey.

Devils at Canucks NHL Betting Odds and Key Trends

The Canucks opened Tuesday night’s matchup as a -180 moneyline favorite, while the Devils opened as a +155 underdog at BookMaker. The total was set at 5.5 goals, with the “over” being the underdog at even moneyline. Vancouver has gone over twice in three games this season, while the Devils are 1-1 on totals. The last two matchups between these teams have resulted in an overtime losses for New Jersey. The Devils are also 14-6 during their last 20 Tuesday games, which is a random, yet interesting, stat. The most intriguing trend is that the Canucks are 9-3 during their last 12 home games, which dates back to last season but should continue into this year as well.

Free NHL Picks: Devils at Canucks Betting Predictions

Vancouver has started out on a hot streak after losing its opening game 4-1 to the San Jose Sharks. The team is on one day of rest and at the beginning of a three-game homestand. All the value in this matchup points to the Canucks, who should be able to manage a win against the Devils and start off the season 3-1. Wagering on pucklines is always tricky business, but the consensus amongst NHL experts is that New Jersey will have a difficult time scoring this season, and that should be impacted even more by having to play three of their first four-games on the road and on the second night of a back-to-back. There is excellent value in getting a positive payout on giving away the 1.5 goals on the puckline. However, simply taking the team straight-up at -180 is probably the safest play for bettors.

The over in this matchup also feels like a solid plays as the Canucks will be well-rested and hoping to start the season in a dominant fashion. The team has managed to score 12 goals in three games and will be looking to continue that trend. The Devils might not be a powerhouse, but scoring two goals is certainly within reason for the team.

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Read more articles by George Monroy