Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports/Sipa USA

New Jersey Devils vs Calgary Flames: Can the Flames stop the bleeding against the top team in the East?

The Calgary Flames are hosting the New Jersey Devils today at Scotiabank Saddledome.

The Devils are off to a great start to the season

The New Jersey Devils are on top of the Eastern Conference with a 7-4-2 record, including 4-2-0 on the road. After losing four consecutive games, they won the last two and are coming off a 6-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Devils are eighth in the league scoring 3.88 goals per game and rank tenth allowing three goals per game. Nic Hischier leads the team with 15 points so far in the season.

The Flames have lost the last four games

The Calgary Flames are eighth in the Western Conference with a 5-4-1 record, including 3-2-0 at home. They have lost the last four games and are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club. The Flames are 21st in the league, scoring 2.90 goals per game and rank 19th, allowing 3.40 goals per game. Rasmus Andersson leads the team with 10 points so far in the season.

Betting Trends

The Flames are 1-5 SU in their last 6 games overall, 5-2 SU in their last 7 home games, and 7-13 SU in their last 20 games against teams from the Metropolitan Division. Calgary has played over the total goal line in 6 of their last 8 games against the Devils, 5 of their last 6 home games against them, and 5 of their last 7 games against teams from the Eastern Conference. The Devils are 2-4 SU in their last 6 games overall, 5-15 SU in their last 20 games against the Flames, 6-3 SU in their last 9 games on the road, and 1-4 SU in their last 5 games as favorites. New Jersey has played over the total goal line in 5 of their last 6 games overall.

Prediction and Conclusion

Both teams have had four-game losing streaks so far in the season, but the Calgary Flames are currently in that hole. After a great start of the season, they have fallen to the middle of the Western Conference standings, and going back home from a short road trip is exactly what they needed. On the other hand, the Devils have their best start in recent history and are on top of the East. They are heading north on a road trip and stop in Calgary, where they lost 75% of their last 20 visits. It is hard to bet against the top teams in the standings, but we go with the Flames to end the losing streak tonight.