New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins: Odds, Spread, and Total
No matter what the New Jersey Devils do this Thursday, a winning score would not be the top headline in New Jersey or in Pennsylvania. The media has bigger fish…
No matter what the New Jersey Devils do this Thursday, a winning score would not be the top headline in New Jersey or in Pennsylvania. The media has bigger fish to fry as the Devils and Penguins prepare to battle at 7 p.m. EST.
If the Devils win via a hat trick, it won't get as much attention as American forward Jack Hughes, responsible for the golden goal against Canada … unless Jack scores the hat trick. Meanwhile, the Olympics left Pittsburgh's franchise player badly injured. Sidney Crosby suffered a serious right-leg injury in Canada's grueling Olympic quarterfinal against Czechia. Seth Rorabaugh of TribLive says that the Penguins "appear to be preparing for the possibility" that Crosby will miss a stint of games for the Pens, who've been vying for a division lead.
New Jersey finds itself 11 points behind the eighth-place Boston Bruins as superstars return from overseas. The Devils came out of the break with a 2-1 loss to Buffalo on Wednesday.
Spread
- Devils +1.5 (-196)
- Penguins -1.5 (+182)
Money line
- Devils +135
- Penguins -143
Total
- Over 5.5 (-117)
- Under 5.5 (+107)
Note: The above data was collected on Feb. 26, 2026, and may have changed since writing.
New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins Betting Trends
- The Penguins have only one regulation loss since Jan. 11.
- The Devils have failed to cover the spread five straight times.
- Pittsburgh has won three out of the last four encounters.
New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins Injury Reports
New Jersey Devils
- Right winger Stefan Noesen is on the injured reserve with a knee injury.
- Defenseman Luke Hughes is on the injured reserve with a shoulder injury.
- Right winger Zack MacEwen is out for the season with a knee injury.
Pittsburgh Penguins
- Center Filip Hallander is probable with a leg injury.
- Right winger Yegor Chinakhov is day-to-day for personal reasons.
- Center Sidney Crosby is on the injured reserve with a lower-body injury.
- Defenseman Jack St. Ivany is probable with a hand injury.
New Jersey Devils vs Pittsburgh Penguins Predictions and Picks
Crosby was at the forefront of Pittsburgh's 4-1 defeat of New Jersey in the teams' last meeting on Jan. 8. Sid compiled two assists, and Penguins' netminder Stuart Skinner stopped 28 of 29 shots. With uncertain days ahead insofar as Crosby's efforts, the Pens will turn to playmakers like Richard Rakell and celebrated vet Evgeni Malkin, each of whom got on the scoreboard in that last meeting.
The Penguins' issue with Crosby's injury is not that different from Team Canada's concerns when the captain goes down. The Pens still have plenty of scoring punch, icing several younger snipers who can compete with Crosby in point-production in his later years. Yet if Crosby has to sit out for a while, it will show in the Penguins' overuse of other players, the lineup's resulting fatigue, and the loss of leadership.
New Jersey's stock rose during the Olympics, and not just due to the USA's gold. Defenseman Simon Nemec proved as valuable to Slovakia as Hughes was electrifying on 2026's amazing Team USA lineup. Other NHL teams saw their aging cogs slow down in Milan, but Hughes and Nemec gained confidence. Bet on the Devils' upstarts over a Pens team that's in regrouping-mode.
