The chase for a National Hockey League playoff spot and ultimately the Stanley Cup will begin again when the 2019-20 NHL regular season starts next Wednesday, Oct. 2.
It all begins with the 2018-19 Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues at home against the Washington Capitals. Other opening night games include:
- Ottawa Senators at Toronto Maple Leafs
- Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers
- San Jose Sharks at Las Vegas Golden Knights
Local favorites the New Jersey Devils and Philadelphia Flyers won’t begin their 82-game regular-season campaigns until a few nights later.
Of course, you can now bet on these and every other NHL game at top NJ sports betting apps including DraftKings Sportsbook, William Hill (Caesars Sportsbook), and FanDuel Sportsbook.
With the NHL preseason still ongoing, these online sportsbooks have yet to release all the lines on the first week of games.
However, there’s still plenty to bet on in advance of the first puck dropping on the 2019-20 NHL regular season.
Devils + Flyers season openers
Now, the Flyers won’t start the season locally. In fact, they won’t even start it on this continent.
Philadelphia is one of four teams participating in the 2019 NHL Global Series and will play its first regular-season game in Europe. They’ll take on the Chicago Blackhawks at O2 Arena in Prague, the Czech Republic on Friday, Oct. 4.
The Devils will also begin the 2019-20 NHL season on Oct. 4, only the Devils will do it right here in New Jersey. They’ll take on the Winnipeg Jets at the Prudential Center in Newark.
The second game of the season for both these Metropolitan Division rivals will actually be against one another. The Devils will visit the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Oct. 9.
2019-20 Devils-Flyers series at FanDuel
Since they are both in the NHL Eastern Conference’s Metropolitan Division, the Devils and Flyers will play each other four times this season.
The season series gets started in Philadelphia on Oct. 9, and they’ll play one more in the City of Brotherly Love and two more in Newark.
You can bet on who will win the 4-game series at the FanDuel app where the market has opened at Devils -122 and Flyers +100.
You can even bet on the series with a half-game handicap. This market is open with the Devils at -0.5 (-115) and Flyers at +0.5 (+115).
Player and team props at DraftKings
DraftKings Sportsbook has player props markets open on the Devils and Flyers. There you can bet on who will score the most regular goals this season for each team.
Here’s a look at the odds on the Devils’ top scorer:
- Taylor Hall +115
- Kyle Palmieri +165
- Nico Hischier +600
- Jack Hughes +650
- Wayne Simmons +2500
- Any other player +900
Here’s a look at the odds on the Flyers top scorer:
- Seanvan Couturier +135
- James Riemsdyk +225
- Claude Giroux +450
- Kevin Hayes +1000
- Jakub Voracek +1100
- Any other player +550
In the meantime, DraftKings Sportsbook also has team prop markets open allowing you to bet on if the Devils and Flyers can make the playoffs this season.
Here’s how the odds look:
- Devils to make the playoffs -121
Devils to miss the playoffs +100 - Flyers to make the playoffs +100
Flyers to miss the playoffs -121
You can also bet an over/under on each team’s end-of-season points total. NHL teams are awarded two points for all wins and one point for an overtime or shootout loss.
DraftKings Sportsbook has the over/under on the Devils points total at 91.5 (-122/+100). The over/under on the Flyers points total is at 90.5 (+100/-125).
Devils, Flyers Stanley Cup odds
Of course, you can also bet on both teams future prospects in the division, conference and the entire NHL in futures markets at all three NJ gambling sites.
Here’s how the preseason NHL odds look:
| NHL Futures | DraftKings | FanDuel | William Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Devils Metropolitan Division |
+750 | +650 | +550 |
| Devils Eastern Conference | +1300 | +1500 | +1200 |
| Devils Stanley Cup | +2700 | +2600 | +3300 |
| Flyers Metropolitan Division | +900 | +1000 | +900 |
| Flyers Eastern Conference | +1700 | +2000 | +2300 |
| Flyers Stanley Cup | +3200 | +3600 | +3300 |