New Jersey vs Columbus Prediction: Choosing the Devils

Prediction for the NHL match between New Jersey vs Columbus, which will take place on December 28th. Who will turn out to be stronger? Check the team conditions! Several betting options are available.

New Jersey shows mediocre results. A year ago, the Devils secured a long-awaited playoff ticket and even made it past the first round of the Stanley Cup. Now, they are outside the top eight. They defeated 3-2 Detroit before the championship break and lost to Anaheim 1-5, Philadelphia 2-3, and Edmonton 3-6. Such uneven results leave the team in tenth place in the Eastern Conference standings, three points behind the top 8.

Columbus looks even worse, but we shouldn't be surprised, as they've been hopeless underdogs for the past few years. They did not have the best start to the season. In November, the Jackets went on a 9-game losing streak, almost missing the chance of making the playoffs. Sure, they've started to gain points, but we don't see a breakthrough in their performance. They lost to Washington and Toronto in the last two meetings, 2-3 and 4-1. That leaves them in the penultimate spot in the Eastern Conference standings.

Both are still outside the playoff zone with completely different aims. The Devils already made it to the Cup last season, so they will try to make it to the top 8. The Jackets are unlikely to fight for that spot, and now they occupy the penultimate line in the Eastern Conference. The Devils have also won four of the last five H2H meetings.

This confrontation has been very productive lately. In the past seven H2H meetings, the opponents scored 48 pucks (6.86 average per game), while the Devils have scored 31 of 48 pucks (4.43 on average). We expect an eventful battle, as they are well-rested and fired up after a short break.