NHL weekend best bets: Kings to start fast in Anaheim

Thursday night was a mixed bag for our best bets. We breezed over the 5.5 total in Seattle, but unfortunately, the Jets couldn't convert their abundance of chances into goals and dropped their game against the Blue Jackets.

Let's dive into a couple of games that stand out for the weekend ahead.

Kings (-250) @ Ducks (+210)
Feb. 17, 9:00 p.m. EST

The Ducks are an unmitigated disaster. Although they are ahead of a couple teams in the standings, nobody is nearly as inept as they are on the defensive side.

At five-on-five, they rank dead last in preventing shot attempts, shots on goal, scoring chances, high-danger chances, expected goals, and actual goals. In some categories, no other team is even close.

Take expected goals, for example. Anaheim is allowing 3.46 per 60 minutes at five-on-five. The Canadiens are the closest to them at 2.98 per 60 - it's night and day.

I think the Ducks are in for a tough night against the Kings. While Los Angeles isn't the flashiest, the team is very good at running its opponents into the ground at full strength.

The Kings certainly had no problem doing that against the Ducks in their lone meeting this season, outshooting them 41-25 en route to a three-goal victory.

I expect similar this time around, but the first-period market appears to be the best way to attack this matchup.

The Kings are a strong team out of the gate, ranking top 10 in opening-period goals, while the Ducks - as you'd expect - have struggled mightily in their efforts to hit the ground running.

Anaheim has conceded 70 goals in the opening period (31st) and is tied with the Blackhawks for last place with a -29 goal differential in the first.

Los Angeles is a veteran-heavy team in the thick of a heated race for the top spot in the Pacific Division. The Kings know the importance of every point, and this game is as close to a layup as they'll get. Expect them to come out swinging.

Bet: Kings first period -0.5 (+110)

Devils (TBD) @ Penguins
Feb. 18, 5:30 p.m. EST

The Devils own an 11-2-2 record over the last 15 games, but they haven't played all that well. They have routinely lost the shot and/or chance battles but have gotten by on the backs of timely finishing and quality goaltending.

While New Jersey's five-on-five play has left a lot to be desired, there is reason to believe it'll significantly improve sooner rather than later. John Marino recently returned from an extended injury absence, and his presence solidifies the top four while making the blueline a lot deeper as a whole.

Jack Hughes also appears to be well ahead of schedule on his week-to-week injury and seems likely to return to the lineup against the Penguins.

The Pens have not been great defensively this season and have particularly struggled with centers. Hughes is as hot as anybody in hockey right now, having amassed 27 points and 82 shots over his last 15 games. He should be able to exploit Pittsburgh's weakness and drastically improve the Devils' ability to drive play at five-on-five.

I also like how favorable the Devils' schedule is in this spot. They'll be rested against a Penguins team that is playing an important divisional game on the road on Friday night.

It could also mean a date with Casey DeSmith, who is wildly inconsistent and has been blown up a handful of times since the calendar flipped.

Bet: Devils ML (would play to -130)

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