NHL Thursday best bets: Dancing with the Devils

We have our first big slate of the season on the docket Thursday night, as 20 of the league's 32 teams are set for action.

Let's take a closer look at a couple of sides and a player prop worth backing.

Devils (-139) @ Flyers (+115)

The Flyers were an absolute disaster last campaign, winning more games than only the Canadiens.

I don't see things going much better this time around. Philadelphia enters the season with one of the league's most flawed rosters.

The Flyers finished 31st in goals scored in 2021-22, and that was with Claude Giroux spending most of the campaign on the roster. The club didn't adequately replace him - or even really try - as fourth-line enforcer Nic Deslauriers was the most lucrative addition up front.

While Philadelphia has a few solid forward pieces, it lacks game-breaking talent and depth. Scoring is likely to be a problem against a Devils team that ranked 14th in expected goals against per 60 minutes over the previous campaign. New Jersey also improved its blueline with John Marino and Brendan Smith replacing Ty Smith and P.K. Subban.

On the flip side, this is a good spot for the Devils' offense to hit the ground running. The Flyers struggled mightily in their own zone last season, slotting 30th in xGA/60. They conceded a ton of chances, and Tony DeAngelo, who tends to be a liability in his own zone, isn't going to change that.

Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Ondrej Palat, and New Jersey's dangerous forward group should cause Philadelphia all kinds of problems.

The effort will undoubtedly be there for the Flyers under new head coach John Tortorella. However, I don't see enough talent to keep up with a Devils squad that seems poised to surprise in 2022-23.

Bet: Devils (-139)

Coyotes (+300) @ Penguins (-400)

The Coyotes were an unmitigated disaster last season, ranking dead last in goals scored and 30th in goals against.

Realizing the long rebuild ahead to get this team where it needs to be, Arizona didn't really add anybody in the offseason. Arguably its most notable transaction was taking on Zack Kassian from the Oilers in a salary-cap dump.

The Coyotes are going to be very, very bad once again, and I don't think it'll take long for that to show.

The Penguins are a talented, veteran-heavy team that has dealt with an abundance of injuries for what feels like years. Games with a full lineup have come few and far between, so they'll surely be looking to take advantage of the opportunity at hand and start on a high note.

In a game in which Pittsburgh's puck line sits at 2.5 goals - albeit at plus money - I'm happy to back them to win the first period at near even money.

Bet: Penguins 1st period -0.5 (-105)

Tage Thompson over 3.5 shots (+130)

Thompson was a priority target for me for much of last season, especially when playing on home ice.

The powerful center was a shooting machine in Buffalo, averaging 3.6 shots per game while generating at least four shots in 23 of 39 contests (59%).

The Senators are an improved side, but that stems from the firepower the team added up front. Their defense remains very shaky and can still be exploited by players of Thompson's caliber.

Win or lose, look for him to generate shots in bulk in what should be a high-scoring affair.

Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore. Be sure to follow him on Twitter @ToddCordell.