Trust Devils, Jets to rebound Monday night

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Headlined by another edition of the Hudson River rivalry, we have a fun four-game slate ahead of us to begin the week.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of sides worth backing.

The Devils have dropped plenty of games lately, but the process has been strong. They have routinely generated more shots and chances than their opponents only to be sunk by awful goaltending.

That shouldn't be as much of a problem moving forward with veterans Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen replacing youngsters Nico Daws and Akira Schmid. The newcomers aren't world-beaters but are certainly more experienced and reliable than what the Devils were putting out each night.

I think this is a good spot to buy low on the Devils. Timo Meier's re-emergence has raised the team's offensive ceiling, and the Rangers are vulnerable defensively right now.

The Rangers rank 32nd in shot suppression over the last 10 games. They also rank 30th in expected goals allowed, meaning this isn't a case of allowing quantity but keeping it to the outside; the quality looks have been there.

The Devils rank second in expected goals generation over the same period. Teams are having a difficult time preventing chances against them, and life will only be harder for the Rangers with Norris-winning defenseman Adam Fox and captain Jacob Trouba set to miss this game.

New York is also expected to start Jonathan Quick, who has cooled down of late, to preserve Igor Shesterkin for a big divisional clash against the Hurricanes.

Add it all up and there's real value in backing the Devils as healthy road underdogs.

Bet: Devils (+120)

The Jets have been excellent at responding to defeat. Since the beginning of December, there's only one stretch - a five-game skid at the end of January - where the Jets have lost multiple games consecutively.

There were eight other instances in that span where the Jets dropped a game and responded immediately with a win. Each win came within 60 minutes.

Winnipeg is coming off what head coach Rick Bowness called its worst game of his tenure. His veteran-laden team seems to respond every time Bowness pushes its buttons, and he's undoubtedly looking for that to happen again versus Washington.

The expectation is that deadline acquisitions Tyler Toffoli and Colin Miller will be available. Those two players should not only improve the squad's quality but breathe some life and excitement into the lineup.

The Jets will be a difficult team for the Capitals to compete with. The Caps have enjoyed plenty of success of late, but their last four wins have come against the Blackhawks, Penguins (no Jake Guentzel or Bryan Rust), Flyers (Samuel Ersson conceded five on 21 shots), and Senators (seven-game losing streak).

I don't think they're as good as they have looked of late. They've just taken advantage of a very weak point in the schedule.

Look for the well-balanced Jets to come out hungry after an ugly loss and take care of business within 60 minutes.

Bet: Jets in regulation (-140)

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X at @ToddCordell.

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