New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils Picks and Predictions for Thursday October 15 2026
The New York Rangers head over to Newark on Thursday, October 15, 2026, to face the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center. Puck drops at 7:00 PM ET, with ESPN+ available for out-of-market viewers. The Rangers just beat Tampa Bay 4-1, while New Jersey needed overtime to get past Detroit 5-4. The Devils are favored at -129, the Rangers are +108, and the total is sitting at 6.5 goals. I’m taking New York here. The Rangers have been playing some pretty good hockey, and their goaltending has been excellent. New Jersey? Not so much. The Devils can put plenty of shots on net, but they’ve been giving up too many goals. I know this is a rivalry game, and those can get ugly. But getting plus money on the team playing better hockey? I’ll take a look at that every time. Make sure you check out all of our free NHL picks.
New York Rangers Have Been Playing Some Good Hockey
The Rangers are 6-2 and have won two straight. They’re 1-2 on the road, though, so there’s something to keep an eye on. Tuesday’s 4-1 win over Tampa Bay was a good one. New York scored twice in the first period and never really let the Lightning back into it. The Rangers also beat Vancouver 6-2 on Sunday. That’s ten goals in two games. Not bad at all. The only recent stumble was a 3-1 loss to Washington. Before that, New York had won four straight. Mike Sullivan has to like what he’s seeing. The Rangers are getting goals, keeping opponents from getting too many chances, and finding ways to win without their usual starting goalie. I’d be feeling pretty good about this team right now.
New York is scoring 3.38 goals per game and allowing only 1.75. That’s a nice little combination. The Rangers have given up just 14 goals in eight games. Fourteen! New Jersey has allowed 22 in six. The Rangers aren’t even taking a ton of shots, averaging just 23.25 per game. They’re making them count. The power play is clicking at 21.7%, and the penalty kill is sitting at 91.7%. I really like that last number. New Jersey has been pretty good with the extra man, but the Rangers haven’t been giving opponents much room to work. New York is also allowing only 24 shots per game. Keep doing that, and you’re going to win plenty of hockey games. The Devils might shoot more than most teams, but getting shots and scoring goals aren’t the same thing.
The Rangers have gotten some terrific scoring from their forwards lately. One of them has seven goals through eight games and scored twice against Tampa Bay. Seven already. That’s a pretty good start. The defense has chipped in offensively, too, while helping keep opponents away from the net. The big concern is in goal. Igor Shesterkin is out with a lower-body injury, and Joonas Korpisalo is sidelined as well. You’d think that would cause some problems. Instead, the replacement goaltending has been excellent, with the current option posting a save percentage above .940 in limited work. He stopped 25 of 26 shots against Tampa Bay. Can’t complain about that. New York is also missing Joseph Veleno and Adam Sykora. Those injuries matter, but the Rangers have been handling them pretty well. I wouldn’t be surprised if their goalie has another busy night Thursday.
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New Jersey Devils Need To Start Keeping Pucks Out
New Jersey is 3-3 overall and 2-2 at home. The Devils beat Detroit 5-4 in overtime Tuesday, and that was quite a game. They led 4-3 going into the third period, gave up the tying goal, then won it just over a minute into overtime. Exciting? Sure. But I’d imagine Sheldon Keefe would rather see his team hold a lead without needing extra hockey. New Jersey lost 4-1 to Ottawa the night before, so at least the Devils got back in the win column. They’ve also beaten Vancouver 4-1 and Philadelphia 3-2. But they’ve been shut out 6-0 by the Islanders and lost 5-3 to Utah. You never really know what you’re getting. The Devils can look pretty good one night and completely forget how to defend the next.
The Devils are averaging 2.67 goals per game and allowing 3.67. That’s not a great way to start the season. They’ve scored 16 goals and given up 22 through six games. New Jersey is taking 36.33 shots per contest, which is a lot. Actually, it’s one of the highest averages in the league. But they’re not getting enough goals out of all those chances. That’s what bothers me. You can fire 35 or 40 shots at the net, but if the other goalie keeps stopping them, what good does it do? The power play is converting 23.8% of its opportunities, so there’s something to like. The penalty kill is a different story at 70.6%. That’s pretty rough. New York is scoring on more than one of every five power plays. I’d be worried about that if I were cheering for the Devils.
New Jersey got some good offensive production against Detroit. The Devils had two skaters put up three points each, and the winning goal came on a breakaway in overtime. That’s the kind of talent this team has. The trouble is at the other end. Their starting goalie made 23 saves on 27 shots against Detroit. Four goals on 27 shots isn’t going to make anybody feel comfortable. New Jersey’s team save percentage is sitting around .859. The Devils also have injuries to deal with. Connor Brown and Nick Bjugstad are unavailable, while Luke Evangelista has been dealing with an illness. Seamus Casey remains out with a knee injury. That’s some missing depth. The Devils can still score, and I wouldn’t be shocked if they put 35 shots on the Rangers. But with the way New York has been defending, I’m not convinced all those shots will turn into many goals.
New York Rangers vs New Jersey Devils Picks and Predictions
Moneyline Pick: New York Rangers +108
I’m taking the Rangers at +108. Look at the difference in defense. New York is allowing 1.75 goals per game. New Jersey is giving up 3.67. That’s almost two goals a night. And somehow the Rangers are the underdog? I’ll take that. New York has also won six of eight games, while the Devils are sitting at .500. I know the Rangers are missing Shesterkin. Normally, I’d be worried about that. But the replacement goaltending has been terrific, and the team is allowing only 24 shots a game. New Jersey can certainly make this uncomfortable. The Devils are taking more than 36 shots per contest, and their power play is pretty good. If the Rangers start taking penalties, things could change quickly. But I like New York’s penalty kill, and I don’t trust the Devils to keep enough pucks out of their own net. Give me the Rangers at plus money.
Total Pick: Under 6.5 Goals
I’ll take Under 6.5 goals. I know New Jersey just played a 5-4 game against Detroit, and the Devils have been giving up too many goals. That’s the scary part. New York has also scored ten in its last two games. But look at what the Rangers have been doing defensively. They’re allowing only 1.75 goals and 24 shots per game. The penalty kill is above 91%. That’s pretty impressive. New Jersey takes a lot of shots, but the Devils average only 2.67 goals. The Rangers don’t need to completely shut them down. Just keep them around two. I’m thinking New York can score three or four against a defense allowing nearly four a night. The biggest concern is New Jersey’s power play. A couple of penalties could turn this into a much higher-scoring game. And if the Rangers’ backup goaltending finally cools off, that won’t help either. But I’m not betting against what’s been working for New York. A 4-2 Rangers win sounds about right. I’ll take Under 6.5.
Final Picks: New York Rangers Moneyline +108 and Under 6.5 Goals.
Disclaimer: This preview was prepared October 14, 2026. Betting odds, injuries, and starting goalies may change before puck drop. Check the latest information before placing a wager.
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