Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 1 Expert Picks & NHL Odds: Best Bets & Player Props for Sunday, April 20

The New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes kick off their first-round series on Sunday as we offer our game prediction and best prop picks.

Gary Pearson

Last updated: April 20, 2025 6:41 AM EDT • 6 min read

Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 1 prediction, expert picks. — Pictured: Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis shoots past Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson. Photo by James Guillory via Imagn Images

The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils had a few things in common toward the tail end of the regular season. For what seemed like an eternity, neither had anything to play for, and both stumble into the postseason on the back of rotten runs.

Our Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 1 prediction and NHL picks expect Carolina to prove why it was one of the league's best home teams while featuring Seth Jarvis, Timo Meier, and Nico Hischier. This afternoon's game from Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C., starts at 3 p.m. ET (ESPN, Sportsnet).

👉 For more playoff predictions and expert picks, check out: Stanley Cup Predictions and odds

📺 Game info & where to watch Devils vs. Hurricanes live today

📅 Date: Sunday, April 20
🕗 Time: 3 p.m. ET
📍 Location: Lenovo Center (Raleigh, N.C.)
📺 TV: ESPN, Sportsnet
💻 Streaming: ESPN+, Sportsnet+

📊 Devils vs. Hurricanes stats: Records, trends & best odds today

📈 For full team stats and betting line history, follow our Devils vs. Hurricanes matchup page.

💡 Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 1 prediction & expert picks: Sunday, April 20

🎯 Score prediction: Hurricanes 4, Devils 2
✅ Best bet: Hurricanes 3-way ML (-125 via DraftKings)

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Devils vs. Hurricanes prediction, expert picks. — Pictured: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen makes a glove save. Photo by Bob DeChiara via Imagn Images

📰 Devils vs. Hurricanes NHL preview & matchup analysis

Three of four regular season tilts between the Devils and Hurricanes ended 4-2, and the other finished 5-2. So, there's a strong precedent for backing the Over, even if the playoffs are an entirely different kettle of fish. While the Under is the most likely outcome at our best sports betting sites, I'm going with the Over.

The Hurricanes scored the third-most goals on home ice in the regular season (3.78), and I'm not 100% confident in either netminder going into the playoffs. Jacob Markstrom was 5-6-1 in his last 12 with a .865 save percentage and a 3.44 goals-against average.

While the Hurricanes' likely starter, Frederik Andersen, is an impressive 7-3-1 in his last 11, his numbers aren't quite as gleaming (.892 save percentage and 2.71 goals-against average).

Carolina a different beast on home ice

It was a perplexing final few months for the Hurricanes, who were the NHL's best from March 2 to March 30 (11-2-0) but lost seven of eight to finish the season. While there's no getting around that ghastly last three weeks, six of their final seven defeats came on the road.

Carolina is an entirely different beast on home ice, where it had the third-best record (31-9-1) and allowed the sixth-fewest goals (2.46). They won nine of the last 11 games at Lenovo Center.

Despite their inconsistent campaign, the Devils were the sixth-best road team. However, Sheldon Keefe's team is 9-10-1 since Jack Hughes' season-ending injury, tied for the ninth-worst point percentage (.475). The Hurricanes' moneyline odds are so short (-205 at FanDuel) that I'm forced to trigger the 3-way moneyline option, which offers a much more respectable -125 at DraftKings.

Unfortunately, I'm forced to clench my jaw and bite my nails for 60 minutes, hoping Game 1 doesn't go into overtime.

👉 Check out our guide on how to bet on the NHL.

💰 Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 1 picks & best bets

✅ Against the spread pick: Hurricanes -1.5 (+132 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐
✅ Moneyline pick: Hurricanes 3-way ML (-125 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐
✅ Over/Under pick: Over 5.5 (+114 via DraftKings) ⭐⭐⭐

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🥅 Best Devils vs. Hurricanes Game 1 player props & same-game parlay

🔎 Our NEW NHL player prop odds tool can help you find the best NHL odds across legal sportsbooks in your area!

🚨 Seth Jarvis Over 2.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Jarvis has been much more prolific on the shooting front after Mikko Rantanen's departure, hitting the Over in 11 of 17 games. He was also as efficient down the stretch, firing at least three shots on goal in six of the final eight contests. He's the lead horse right now in Raleigh. And if the Hurricanes can't rally behind Jarvis, they'll be in trouble.

Look for Jarvis to get off on the right foot. BerRivers offers -112 odds, the shortest available.

🔢 Seth Jarvis player prop bet odds

🚨 Nico Hischier Over 1.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I'm most drawn to the low 1.5 total for Hischier, who struggled with his shot production in the meaningless games to end the campaign. Before his recent unproductive stretch, in which he fired two or more in one of five to end the season, he had over 1.5 shots in 12 of 16 games. He's also productive against the Hurricanes, hitting the Over in five of the previous seven meetings. FanDuel's -132 odds offer a profit of $7.58 on a winning $10 bet.

🔢 Nico Hischier player prop bet odds

🚨 Timo Meier Under 2.5 shots ⭐⭐⭐

Meier has been one of the most reliable Over shooters in recent weeks. And there's a chance he will extend that prolific form into the postseason. While a contrarian pick, I'm picking the Under, banking on Meier's continuing struggles against the Hurricanes. Meier has had two or fewer shots in eight of the nine previous meetings with Carolina.

In addition, the Hurricanes allowed the fewest shots per game (24.1) at the Lenovo Center during the regular season. bet365 offers +105 for the Under, which would yield a $10.50 profit on a successful $10 bet.

🔢 Timo Meier player prop bet odds

🚀 Best Devils vs. Hurricanes parlay picks & SGP odds

🧪 Want to make your own SGP? Check out our NEW parlay calculator to get the best odds for any same-game parlay.

🔢 Devils vs. Hurricanes odds & betting lines

🛒 Shop around for the best Devils vs. Hurricanes odds from our best sports betting apps.

📡 Devils vs. Hurricanes live odds

🛜 Game already started? You can still get in on the action with our best live betting sites.

🪧 Devils vs. Hurricanes opening odds

Opening odds via BetMGM.

Puck line: Devils +1.5 (-170) | Host -1.5 (odds)
Moneyline: Devils (+165) | Host (-200)
Over/Under: Over 5.5 (+110) | Under 5.5 (-135)

🚑 Devils vs. Hurricanes injury report

🗳️ Who will win Devils vs. Hurricanes?

🧠 Stanley Cup predictions, expert picks

🥅 Best NHL betting sites

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Written By:
Gary Pearson

Gary Pearson has written professionally since 2010, focusing on sports betting since 2014. Before entering the sports betting space, he contributed to the Canadian Press, FanSided, the Hockey Writers, the Calgary Herald, and other publications. His work has also been featured in Sports Illustrated and Bleacher Report. Gary, who consumes sports like a blue whale devours plankton, has a penchant for writing predictions and analyses across several sports, including hockey, soccer, football, tennis, and more. He bets regularly, preferring single-game picks, props, and live betting. While there isn't a sport he has yet to dabble in, Gary prefers betting on soccer, hockey, and football. He studied at various post-secondary institutions, including the University of Calgary, SAIT Polytechnic, and Griffith University, located in Brisbane, Australia. Gary has a marketing degree and completed his bachelor's degree in journalism at Griffith University. He feels strongly that life experience is as essential as post-secondary education, helping formulate more accurate predictions and analyses. Gary believes that competing at a high level of amateur sports during his formative years helped him better understand an athlete's psyche and the nuances and complexities of a team's dynamic, both on and off the playing surface. He feels that knowledge is immeasurably important when offering his analytical expertise. He has lived on five continents and currently resides in Canada.