New Jersey Devils vs Los Angeles Kings tips: Devils flying at home

The New Jersey Devils welcome the Los Angeles Kings to Prudential Center on Sunday, 25 October, at 6:30 am AEDT, and the hosts are flying. New Jersey sit 19th on the ladder with a 5-4-0 record, but their home form tells a different story — three straight wins at the Rock, outscoring opponents 15–5 in that stretch. The Kings arrive 31st overall at 1-4-2, their away ledger particularly grim: yet to record a regulation road win this season.

Both sides come in off victories — the Devils dispatched Anaheim 4–1 on Friday night, while the Kings edged the Islanders 3–2 in their most recent outing. But the context around those results couldn't be more different. New Jersey have won four of their last five overall, averaging 4.4 goals across that sample. Los Angeles strung together back-to-back road wins to snap a three-game slide, yet their scoring output remains anaemic at 2.43 goals per game for the season.

Who will win Devils vs Kings?

The Devils are the clear favourites on the board, and the form lines support it. New Jersey's last five reads W-W-L-W-W, with that lone blemish a 2–4 road loss to Washington. At home they've been ruthless: 7–1 over the Rangers, 4–3 against Colorado, and 4–1 versus the Ducks. Across those three home starts they've averaged five goals for and just 1.7 against, with an average winning margin of 3.3 goals.

The Kings' last five shows two wins sandwiched by three defeats, and their home form is especially concerning — consecutive 1–4 losses to Boston and Edmonton before they hit the road. Over their last five games Los Angeles have managed just 2.2 goals per contest while conceding 2.8, and their penalty kill sits at a league-worst 64 per cent. New Jersey's power play, clicking at 20 per cent, should find joy against that porous penalty kill.

Jack Hughes leads the Devils' attack with nine points (two goals, seven assists), supported by Jesper Bratt and Arseny Gritsyuk. For the Kings, Artemi Panarin paces the scoring with seven points, but the supporting cast has struggled to generate consistent offence. The advanced metrics favour New Jersey as well — their 61.2 per cent Corsi share dwarfs Los Angeles' 51.5, indicating sustained territorial dominance.

These sides haven't met yet this season, so there's no recent head-to-head history to lean on. But the current trajectories are clear: one team is rolling at home, the other winless on the road. Our nhl picks lean toward the hosts to continue that trend.

Puck Line value

The Devils are laying 1.5 goals on the Puck Line, and the numbers suggest they can cover. At home across their last three starts, New Jersey have won by an average margin of 3.3 goals — well clear of the 1.5-goal spread. Even their overall last-five average winning margin of 2.8 goals comfortably eclipses the line.

The Kings' away form offers little resistance. Their last two road results were tight wins by a single goal each, but before that they lost three straight, conceding an average of 2.3 goals in defeat. Los Angeles don't have the firepower to keep pace if the Devils find their offensive rhythm early, and New Jersey's ability to control possession (61.2 per cent Corsi) should suffocate any comeback attempts.

The Devils' expected goals numbers — 26.9 for versus 17.8 against — suggest they're creating quality chances at an elite rate while limiting opponents' looks. The Kings sit at 13.3 expected goals for and 12.5 against across seven games, a profile of a team treading water. When you're giving up nearly four goals per game on the road, laying 1.5 to a team averaging five at home doesn't feel steep.

Total Goals angle

The Total Goals line sits at 5.5, and the case for the Over is compelling. New Jersey have averaged 4.4 goals in their last five, while the Kings have managed 2.2 — a combined 6.6 goals. Even if you discount the Devils' offensive explosion and use their season average of 3.22 goals per game, pairing that with Los Angeles' 2.43 per game still gets you near the line.

The Devils' home scoring has been particularly prolific: five goals per game across their last three at Prudential Center. The Kings, despite their struggles, have shown they can contribute — they put up five against Washington and three against the Islanders in their recent wins. When Los Angeles' 64 per cent penalty kill meets New Jersey's power play, goals should follow.

Both teams are leaking defensively as well. The Devils have conceded 3.33 goals per game this season, the Kings 3.86. New Jersey's save percentage of 87.2 per cent is middling, Los Angeles' 86 per cent worse still. The ingredients for a high-scoring affair are all there: an elite home attack, two porous defences, and special-teams mismatches.