New Jersey Devils vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks and Prediction for Sunday November 8 2026

New Jersey visits Toronto on Sunday night for a 7 PM ET game at Scotiabank Arena. The Devils have been playing some good hockey, while the Maple Leafs have been getting by with offense and hoping the defense does enough. Both teams have Saturday games, so neither gets much rest. New Jersey visits the Islanders, and Toronto hosts Montreal. That’s something to watch before making a bet. The Devils have been the better defensive team, and that’s why I’m leaning toward them. The NHL season is starting to get a full swing so make sure you are ready for all the games with our free NHL picks.

New Jersey Devils Have Been Winning Close Games

New Jersey is 11-5-0 heading into Saturday’s game against the Islanders. The Devils have won eight of their last ten, which is a pretty impressive stretch. Their last completed game was a 5-4 overtime victory over St. Louis on Thursday. New Jersey nearly blew that one after taking a three-goal lead, but the Devils still found a way to win. They’ve been doing a lot of that lately.

The Devils are averaging about 3.5 goals per game and allowing 2.9. That’s a pretty good combination. New Jersey has been generating enough offense to win games without needing a perfect defensive performance. But the Devils have also been keeping opponents below three goals on average, and that’s important against Toronto. The Maple Leafs have plenty of offense, so New Jersey needs to avoid giving away easy chances.

Seamus Casey remains unavailable on defense. That affects the depth, but New Jersey has been getting good results despite the injury. The bigger question is how the Devils handle two games in two nights. They can’t afford another third-period defensive collapse like the one against St. Louis. Toronto has enough scoring ability to make them pay for that.

Toronto Maple Leafs Need to Tighten Up Defensively

Toronto is 8-7-2 heading into Saturday’s game against Montreal. The Maple Leafs have been inconsistent, but the offense has been doing its job. They’re scoring around 3.6 goals per game, and that’s enough to win most nights if the defense holds up. The trouble is that Toronto has been giving opponents too many chances.

The Leafs are allowing about 3.2 goals per game. That’s not terrible, but it isn’t especially good, either. Toronto has been involved in a lot of games where both teams get plenty of scoring opportunities. Against New Jersey, that’s dangerous because the Devils have been finishing their chances and playing better defensively. Toronto needs to control the puck instead of getting caught trading chances.

John Tavares, Kirill Marchenko, Nick Blankenburg, Marshall Rifai, and Miles Wood have been listed unavailable. That’s a lot of missing help, particularly with the Leafs playing consecutive nights. Toronto still has enough offense to win, but the injuries make the defensive work even more important. I don’t like the idea of the Leafs getting into another wide-open game against New Jersey.

New Jersey Devils vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks and Prediction

Moneyline Pick: New Jersey Devils

I’m taking New Jersey. Toronto has home ice, and the Leafs can certainly score enough to win. But the Devils have been playing better hockey, winning eight of their last ten and allowing fewer goals per game. Both teams have to play Saturday, so neither gets much of a rest advantage. I trust New Jersey’s defense a little more, and I think that makes the difference. Give me the Devils in a close one.

Total Pick: Over 6.5 Goals

I’ll take the over 6.5 if that’s the number. Toronto is scoring around 3.6 goals a night, and New Jersey is at about 3.5. Both teams have enough offense to get three or four, and both are playing on consecutive nights. Tired legs can lead to defensive mistakes. The concern is New Jersey slowing the game down and keeping Toronto to two goals. That’s possible. But I think both teams create enough chances to push this past six. Something like 4-3 wouldn’t surprise me.

Final Picks: New Jersey Devils Moneyline | Over 6.5 Goals (if available)

Disclaimer: This preview was completed on November 7, 2026, before both teams played Saturday. Records, injuries, betting lines, and starting goaltenders may change before puck drop.