New Jersey Devils vs Toronto Maple Leafs Picks, Prediction, Odds, and Line Movement for Sunday November 8 2026

The New Jersey Devils close a back-to-back Sunday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena. The scheduled start is 7 p.m. ET, with puck drop expected shortly afterward. New Jersey enters 12-5-0 and has won four straight games, while Toronto is 8-8-2 and has dropped four of its last five. On recent results alone the visitors deserve to be favored, but the scheduling context creates a plausible opportunity for a home underdog.

New Jersey needed overtime to beat the Islanders 5-4 on Saturday, with Jack Hughes scoring the winner after a comeback. Toronto also played Saturday, losing 4-2 to Montreal, but did not have to travel overnight. Both teams face short recovery windows, so the Leafs cannot claim a clean rest advantage. The Devils did, however, play additional minutes and then travel to another arena.

New Jersey has been favored across the public moneyline boards. A Sunday FanDuel comparison quoted the Devils at -154 and Toronto at +128; the earlier Covers research sheet listed New Jersey -152 and Toronto +137. Some sportsbook comparisons have shown even more favorable prices on Toronto, while others are closer to +110 or +120. That range is central to the case for the underdog, because backing Toronto at close to even money is not equivalent to receiving +128.

The total has generally been 6.5 goals at FanDuel, with Over +104 and Under -128 on the dated board. Both teams possess forwards capable of generating offense and neither had a quiet Saturday, but the total is not necessary to the recommended play. A full-game moneyline underdog wager allows for an overtime winner, which is relevant after New Jersey just played an overtime contest. The posted prices are time-specific public comparisons, not guaranteed executable offers.

New Jersey is in excellent form. Its official game preview reports eight victories in the previous nine games and ten wins in twelve. Jack Hughes has led the offense with 23 points, including nine goals, and recently assembled a four-game multi-point streak. Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier and Timo Meier give the visitors several ways to attack, so Toronto cannot build an entire defensive plan around stopping one player.

Goaltending is a major variable, but it should not be invented. Jake Allen played against the Islanders on Saturday, making Connor Hellebuyck the expected option for Sunday according to the game-day reporting. That expectation is not the same as an officially confirmed start. New Jersey has enough skill to make Toronto’s recent problems worse if the Leafs surrender quick rush chances. The Devils’ most relevant risk may be sustaining their pace after the road trip and the extra period Saturday.

Toronto has not been consistently sound, but its top-end offense remains dangerous. Auston Matthews has 11 goals and 27 points, while William Nylander has 11 goals and 22 points in the official Devils preview. Nylander has scored repeatedly in recent games, giving the home team a second focal point beyond Matthews. John Tavares returned Saturday after an injury absence, which may give Toronto more options against New Jersey’s forward depth.

The Leafs must also account for personnel uncertainty. Morgan Rielly left Saturday’s loss against Montreal with a lower-body issue, and his Sunday availability has been unclear. Toronto’s other reported absences include Max Domi and Kirill Marchenko. Anthony Stolarz is expected in goal according to Sunday local reporting, but late team news should settle the final arrangement. The home team cannot afford a series of defensive coverage errors against a Devils club that can score in quick bursts.

The crucial question is whether Toronto can turn the home setting into an advantage rather than spend another evening chasing the game. Matthews and Nylander can challenge New Jersey off controlled entries, while an improved second wave involving Tavares would make it more difficult for the Devils to concentrate defensive attention on the first line. Toronto also needs the puck to move quickly out of its own end if Rielly is limited or unavailable.

New Jersey will try to dictate pace through Hughes and its forecheck. That could be particularly dangerous against a Toronto defense that has been uneven. But the Devils’ overtime victory and travel mean they cannot be assumed to have the better legs for every shift. In a game where a one-goal decision is plausible, a real plus-money return on the home side compensates for some of the risk of facing the hotter opponent.

New Jersey is the stronger recent team and remains a legitimate favorite. The selection here is not an assertion that Toronto is superior over the full season. It is a narrow, price-driven home underdog position based on the Devils’ quick turnaround, Toronto’s elite finishers and the possibility of a tight contest decided late.

Best Bet: Toronto Maple Leafs full-game moneyline (+128 at FanDuel; +125 or better). This price was displayed on a dated sportsbook comparison. The case weakens if the available Toronto return falls substantially; backers should not chase a shorter number simply because the team is at home.

Prediction: Toronto Maple Leafs 4, New Jersey Devils 3. Toronto’s scorers give it enough offense to match New Jersey and find a deciding goal, although the Devils are fully capable of reversing this close result.