Posted at 8:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Colorado / Los Angeles UNDER 5½ +110

Crypto.com Arena – Los Angeles, CA

10:30 PM ET. OT included. Season openers can often deceive, and this one has the fingerprints of a tight, low-scoring affair written all over it. The market has priced this total based on reputation — Colorado’s firepower and L.A.’s veteran depth — but openers are rarely played at full pace, and this particular matchup profiles much more like a chess match than a track meet.

Start with Los Angeles. The Kings know exactly what’s undone them year after year: an inability to manage leads and a penchant for turning steady games into chaos. Jim Hiller has spent the entire preseason harping on defensive structure, and Saturday’s meltdown against Anaheim only reinforces that message. The Kings won’t be opening the season in freewheeling fashion. Expect a heavy emphasis on control, puck management, and shorter shifts from an older group trying to avoid early mistakes.

Corey Perry, Anze Kopitar, and Kevin Fiala might still have the name recognition, but this version of the Kings lacks top-end scoring punch. They’ve added defensive veterans like Brian Dumoulin and Cody Ceci for a reason — to slow the game down, not speed it up. Combine that with uncertainty over Alex Laferriere’s status and you have a lineup short on finishers.

As for Colorado, they’re not exactly in midseason rhythm either. Gabriel Landeskog is just returning from a three-year layoff, Brent Burns is 40 and transitioning into a new system, and the Avalanche closed the preseason looking sluggish in the offensive zone. They’ve scored three or fewer goals in four of their last five tune-ups, and their blue line might be shorthanded again if Sean Behrens sits.

Then there’s the situational setup. Opening night in Los Angeles. New introductions, ceremonies, extended stoppages, emotion — all of it favors a slower tempo. Both sides will be feeling each other out, keeping shifts short, and emphasizing defensive discipline

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Posted at 8:00 AM ET. Odds are subject to change

Chicago +230 over Florida Amerant Bank Arena – Sunrise, FL

5:00 PM ET. OT included. The Panthers will raise another banner tonight, and that means another round of pomp, fireworks, family on the ice, and gold confetti. It also means distraction — and no team in sports history has ever been sharp while celebrating its own greatness. The emotional drain of two straight Stanley Cup runs is enormous, and the hangover that follows is real. Now the market wants us to spot an inflated price with the champs in their most disjointed moment of the season? Hard pass.

Florida’s roster is already a shell of the one that lifted the Cup four months ago. Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk — the engine and the edge of this operation — are both out long-term. Barkov’s knee injury robs the Cats of their best two-way presence and dressing-room compass. Tkachuk, meanwhile, is the emotional spark that drags this team into the fight. Without either, Florida’s forward depth looks exposed.

Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell will be asked to carry the load and Paul Maurice can talk all he wants about “next man up” — there isn’t one. That “next man” is just a warm body on a night when half the roster will still be posing for photos and kissing rings.

On the other side, Chicago arrives with no expectations, no pressure, and an emerging identity under Jeff Blashill. The Hawks are fast, young, and eager to play spoiler. Connor Bedard is a generational talent already commanding the puck like a ten-year vet, and the addition of Spencer Knight — making his return to the crease against his former team — adds another layer of motivation. Knight knows this building, this crowd, and the shooters across from him. He’s going to want this one badly, and so will his 'mates.

Take advantage of BET365's early MLB payout offer! 

For straight bets, if the team you back to win goes 5 runs ahead at any stage during the game, BET365 will pay out your bet in full regardless of whether the opposition comes back to win the game.

For parlays and Same Game Parlays, if a team you have backed goes 5 runs ahead, this selection will be marked as won within My Bets, with the remaining selections left to run.

Here is a wager we were paid out early on that would eventually lose. 

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