Pinnacle -1½ -222 BET365 -1½ +220 Sportsinteraction -1½ +220 888Sport -1½ +220

Posted at 11:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change.

Vegas -1½ +222 over New Jersey

7:00 PM ET. The Golden Knights are in a funk, and nobody wants to bet on a team that’s lost four in a row and 11 of its last 14. Yet, somehow, they are the favorite in New Jersey. That’s not an accident. The books are taking a stand on Vegas, and we’re listening.

Vegas held the Islanders to 14 shots last game—14! That tied a franchise record for the fewest allowed in a single game, and yet, they still lost 2-1 because Ilya Sorokin stood on his head. If Vegas keeps limiting chances like that, the wins will come, and the results will normalize. The Knights dominated the game but got nothing to show for it. That’s hockey variance, not a sign of a bad team.

What’s striking here is that oddsmakers have installed Vegas as the chalk despite their abysmal recent record. A team that has lost 11 of 14 should, in theory, be an underdog on the road against a New Jersey squad that has won four of six. But instead, the books are taking a stand and saying, "Not so fast." That should raise red flags for anyone looking to blindly back New Jersey.

The Devils, on the other hand, are coming off a misleading 3-2 shootout win over Pittsburgh in which they blew a 2-0 lead and relied on Nicolas Daws to bail them out. New Jersey has been getting by on timely scoring, but their defensive metrics are alarming. Over the last 10 games, the Devils rank in the bottom third of the league in expected goals against (xGA), and their goaltending is anything but stable.

The market is looking at surface results, but we’re looking at the process. Vegas is still playing high-quality hockey but just hasn’t been rewarded for it. That makes them the superior play here, as we get to back a team that would have been an even heavier favorite in this spot just a few weeks ago. The books are showing their hand and we’re going go for the kill. Knigths on the Puck-Line is the play.

Take advantage of BET365's early NFL payout offer! 

For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 17 Points ahead at any stage during the game, BET365 will pay out your bet in full regardless of whether the opposition comes back to win the game.

For parlays and Same Game Parlays, if a team you have backed goes 17 Points ahead, this selection will be marked as won within My Bets, with the remaining selections left to run.

Here is a wager we were paid out early on that would eventually lose. 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------