New Jersey Devils vs. Vegas Golden Knights Picks and Prediction for Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Use Code WWWC New Jersey Devils (18-14-1) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (16-6-9)
The 2025-26 NHL season goes on Wednesday, December 17, with the New Jersey Devils taking on the Vegas Golden Knights in the cross-conference showdown at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV, and we’ve got you covered with our Devils vs. Golden Knights prediction.
New Jersey and Vegas close down their two-game regular-season series. Just 12 days ago, the Golden Knights blanked the Devils 3-0 as -140 road favorites. Now, Vegas is looking for its fifth straight victory over New Jersey.
Let’s look closer at this Devils vs. Golden Knights prediction, one of our NHL picks for Wednesday’s card. The Golden Knights open as -200 home favorites with a total of 5.5 goals, and the puck drop is set at 10:00 PM ET.
The Devils are in crisis
The New Jersey Devils have only won two of their previous nine games overall (2-7-0 record). They just finished a three-game homestand, sandwiching a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks with a pair of defeats against the Tampa Bay Lightning, 8-4, and the Vancouver Canucks 2-1.
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Last Sunday, the Devils outshot the lowly Canucks 26-15, but it wasn’t enough. New Jersey gave up a couple of power-play goals while going 0-for-3 with the man advantage. Jacob Markstrom put on another underwhelming performance and fell to 8-7-1 on the season.
Markstrom has an awful 3.56 GAA and a .874 save percentage in 2025-26. Jake Allen is 9-7-0 with a 2.60 GAA and a .907 save percentage this season, and I expect him to patrol the crease Wednesday against Vegas.
The Devils allow 3.12 goals per game (18th in the NHL) and score 2.88 goals in return (tied for 21st). Winger Jesper Bratt leads the way with six goals and 23 assists, while center Nico Hischier has recorded 10 goals and 16 assists.
Center Jack Hughes (G10, A10) and defenseman Simon Nemec (G7, A11) are out with injuries, while wingers Timo Meier (G11, A12) and Arseny Gritsyuk (G7, A9) are questionable for Wednesday’s clash against Vegas.
The Golden Knights aim for their third straight W
The Vegas Golden Knights have only dropped one of their previous seven games overall (6-0-1 record). They just finished a five-game road trip with a 4-0-1 record and are unbeaten in consecutive games. After a 3-2 overtime win at the Philadelphia Flyers, Vegas outlasted the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in regulation last Saturday.
The Golden Knights overcame a 2-1 deficit in Columbus. They went 1-for-3 with the man advantage, and winger Mitch Marner led the charge with three assists. Carter Hart posted 28 saves, advancing to 3-0-1 on the season.
Hart holds a 2.61 GAA and a .901 save percentage, while Akira Schmid is 11-2-4 with a 2.33 GAA and a .903 save percentage this season. Schmid is expected to get the starting call on Wednesday and search for his third straight victory.
Vegas surrenders 2.81 goals per game (11th in the NHL) and scores 3.06 goals in return (tied for 15th). Marner has amassed six goals and 26 assists so far this season, while center Jack Eichel has accounted for 12 goals and 29 assists.
The Golden Knights are pretty much healthy. Winger Pavel Dorofeyev (G13, A8) suffered an undisclosed injury against the Blue Jackets and is questionable for Wednesday’s game against New Jersey.
Devils vs. Golden Knights Pick
Spread Pick for Devils vs. Golden Knights
- Vegas Golden Knights -1.5 (5 units)
The Golden Knights started their five-game road trip with that 3-0 victory over the Devils. Vegas outshot New Jersey 25-24, and Akira Schmid, a former Devil, posted his second shutout of the season. The Golden Knights took the lead late in the first period and sealed the win with a couple of power-play goals late in the third. Jacob Markstrom guarded the cage for the Devils.
I expect the Golden Knights to beat the struggling Devils once more. New Jersey misses some very important players, and the Devils’ offense has slowed down significantly since Jack Hughes suffered an injury.
Moreover, the Devils’ goaltending has been far from elite level this season. Markstrom has a 3.44 GAA and a .876 save percentage in December (five starts), while Jake Allen has recorded a 3.72 GAA and a .867 save percentage across three starts and one relief appearance this month.
Over/Under Pick for Devils vs. Golden Knights
- Under 5.5 (5 units)
The total looks like a tricky wager. As I mentioned, the Devils have struggled to score lately, and their goaltending has been bad, too. On the other side, the Golden Knights have allowed more than two goals just once in their last five outings, and four of those five contests have seen fewer than six goals on the scoreboard.
Should Timo Meier and Arseny Gritsyuk remain on the shelf, the Devils’ offense will continue to struggle. Pavel Dorofeyev’s eventual absence would be a huge blow for the Golden Knights’ offense, so I will take the under. Each of the last four encounters between New Jersey and Vegas has produced fewer than five goals in total.
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