Our Flyers vs. Devils prediction arrives with New Jersey listed at -165 for its home opener, and with the biggest question on the card still unanswered. Philadelphia plays its second game in two nights after a 7-0 beating at home. New Jersey has not played at all. Meanwhile the total has climbed off its opening number, and the goaltending picture on both benches is unresolved. There is a bet worth making here, and the analysis below explains where it sits.
Last Updated: October 1, 2026
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New Jersey Devils — Game Info
| Where | Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey |
| When | October 1 – 7:00 PM ET |
| TV | ESPN+ |
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New Jersey Devils Betting Preview
Start in the crease, because that is where this number comes from. Dan Vladar was excellent for Philadelphia last season. He posted a .906 save percentage and a 2.42 goals-against average across 52 appearances, and he drew Vezina Trophy votes for it. Then he allowed seven goals on Wednesday as the Flyers were outshot 38-19 in a 7-0 loss to Pittsburgh. Now Philadelphia has to play again on no rest.
That leaves the Flyers with two unappealing options. Running Vladar back asks a goaltender who missed preseason time with an upper-body injury to start again on zero rest. The alternative is Joseph Woll, acquired from Toronto in June, who finished last season at .899 with a 3.34 goals-against average. Daily Faceoff still lists Vladar as its projection. Broad Street Hockey read the decision to leave Vladar in on Wednesday as a sign Woll starts in New Jersey. Neither start is confirmed. Either way, Philadelphia is weaker in goal tonight than it was built to be, and that is the single largest input into this price.
New Jersey projects Jake Allen, who went .904 with a 2.74 goals-against average over 37 games last season. Jacob Markstrom was traded to Florida this summer, so Allen inherits the job with Nico Daws behind him. Allen is not a star at 36. However, he is rested, he is at home, and he is the steadier of tonight’s two likely starters.
The team profiles cut against the price, and that deserves saying plainly. Philadelphia finished last season 43-27-12 for 98 points and third in the Metropolitan Division. New Jersey went 42-37-3 for 87 points, finished seventh and missed the playoffs. The Flyers also swept the season series, winning 6-3, 5-3 and 5-1. The last of those knocked the Devils out of contention. Our preview of Philadelphia’s opener against Pittsburgh leaned on that stronger body of work.
Underneath the results, though, the gap narrows. New Jersey controlled 52.0% of five-on-five shot attempts last season while Philadelphia managed 48.3%. The Devils also finished 44 goals below their expected total at five-on-five, on a 6.8% shooting rate that no team sustains. That is a regression argument in their favour rather than a guarantee. Special teams point the same way. The Devils converted 21.95% on the power play, 13th in the league, against a Philadelphia penalty kill that ranked 22nd at 77.55%. The Flyers in turn finished dead last in the league on the power play at 15.7%. New Jersey’s own middling penalty kill is therefore unlikely to be punished.
The market tells the clearest story of all. This game opened on August 15 with New Jersey at -155 and its puck line at +173. The Devils are now -165 and that puck line has shortened to +160. The total has moved from 5.5 to 6.0 over the same stretch. Yet 80% of puck-line tickets sit on Philadelphia. Money pushing toward New Jersey while four of every five tickets back the other side is reverse line movement. That is the strongest single market signal available.
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New Jersey Devils Odds
| Puck Line | Moneyline | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flyers | +1.5 (-185) | +140 | O 6.0 (-103) |
| Devils | -1.5 (+160) | -165 | U 6.0 (-117) |
Odds accurate as of October 1, 2026 via TheSpread.com. Odds change, get the latest NHL Odds – Futures – Props
Philadelphia Flyers vs. New Jersey Devils — Who Is the Public Betting?
| Flyers | 80% | 20% | Devils |
See the latest NHL Public Betting Splits and make smarter wagers!
Flyers vs. Devils Prediction — Night Two Arrives With Philadelphia’s Crease Unsettled
A tired road team with an unsettled crease, walking into a hostile home opener, is where margins get away late. Hockey schedules are dense, and fatigue shows up quickly. The Flyers were buried early on Wednesday and never recovered. They now face a rested opponent that drove possession better than they did last season.
Empty-net goals matter more in hockey than in any other sport. A trailing team pulls its goaltender, so a one-goal game routinely becomes a two-goal game inside the final minute. That is structural rather than a fluke, and it favours the rested side when the tired side is chasing. The market move described above confirms the read rather than creating it.
Here is what would make this wrong. New Jersey is a modest favourite, not a team the market expects to win comfortably. A large share of hockey games finish inside one goal, and overtime settles plenty of them. Philadelphia was the better team by record last season and beat this opponent three times. Rick Tocchet’s group also has obvious motivation after Wednesday. The read stays provisional until a starter is confirmed, and a sharp Vladar is the version of tonight that beats us.
The Pick: Devils Full-Game Puck Line -1.5 (+160)
Flyers vs. Devils Prediction — What 77 Points in 61 Games Says About New Jersey’s Top Line
Jack Hughes missed 21 games last season and still led New Jersey in scoring. He finished with 27 goals and 50 assists in 61 appearances, a rate of 1.26 points per game. Twenty-three of those points came on the power play, and he averaged 21:19 a night.
The matchup suits him. Philadelphia’s penalty kill ranked 22nd last season, and the Flyers took 9.6 penalty minutes per game against New Jersey’s 7.5. That traffic should run one way. Add a goaltender on either zero rest or a first start with a new club, and Hughes should see chances. The case against is straightforward. Multi-point nights are lumpy, and one game is a small sample for a rate argument. The edge here is thin rather than wide, and it is worth saying so. It also shares an input with our first play, since both lean on Philadelphia being compromised in goal.
The Pick: Jack Hughes 2+ Points (+175)
Our Final Word on Flyers vs. Devils
The total deserves a word, because it moved and it looks tempting. This game opened at 5.5 with the Over at -120. It now sits at 6.0, with the Over at -103 and the Under at -117. The half-goal has already been bought, so backing the Over means paying for a move that has happened. The juice on the Under suggests the fair number is a shade below six. No edge is left on either side, which is why neither appears above. For a wider view, our three best bets from Tuesday’s NHL card covers the early slate.
Luke Evangelista is the other thing to watch. He arrived from Nashville, where he put up 56 points in 81 games, and slots alongside Nico Hischier and Timo Meier. A third scoring option changes how Philadelphia’s defence allocates attention. One game is too early to price that, so it stays an observation.
We are on the Devils full-game puck line at -1.5 (+160), with the money moving their way against 80% of puck-line tickets. We also like Jack Hughes for 2+ points at +175, on a 1.26-point-per-game rate against the league’s 22nd-ranked penalty kill.
NHL Flyers vs. Devils FAQ: October 1, 2026
What time does the Flyers vs. Devils game start?
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, October 1, 2026, at Prudential Center. The game is New Jersey’s home opener and Philadelphia’s first road game of the season. The Flyers play it on the back half of a back-to-back.
What channel is the Flyers vs. Devils game on?
There is no traditional television broadcast for this game. It streams on ESPN+, so viewers need a subscription to that service rather than a cable package carrying a regional sports network. New Jersey is opening its season here, while Philadelphia is already one game into its own.
Where are the Flyers and Devils playing?
The game is at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, the Devils’ home arena. Philadelphia makes the short trip north after hosting Pittsburgh the previous night, so the Flyers are the visiting side on no rest. New Jersey finished seventh in the Metropolitan Division last season and missed the playoffs.
What are the Flyers and Devils records this season?
New Jersey enters at 0-0-0, because this is the Devils’ first game of the campaign. Philadelphia is 0-1-0 after losing 7-0 at home to Pittsburgh on September 30, a game in which the Flyers were outshot 38-19. Last season New Jersey went 42-37-3 and Philadelphia went 43-27-12.
What is the season series record between the Flyers and Devils?
Philadelphia swept all three meetings last season, winning 6-3 on November 22, 5-3 on November 29 and 5-1 on April 7. That final result eliminated New Jersey from playoff contention, which adds an edge to tonight’s home opener. The Flyers have therefore won three straight in the series.