Vegas had the easier September. It played a 4-game preseason, starting with road trips to the Kings and Sharks and ending with 2 home games against Utah and San Jose, so it has already skated in its own barn twice. For a veteran group, the tune-up is mostly about getting everyone on the same page, and that's done.
The injury report is where Anaheim gets thin. Troy Terry was moved to non-roster injured reserve with a hip problem on September 28, so a proven top-6 winger is out of the picture to start the year. Somebody from that 16-forward group moves up a spot, and early in the season that's a real drop-off. A.J. Greer is day-to-day as well, which leaves the forward depth one more knock away from trouble.
The defense has the same issue. Ian Moore is on injured reserve and Drew Helleson is day-to-day, which puts 2 defensemen in doubt from a camp roster that kept only 8. If Helleson can't go, Anaheim plays its opener in Vegas without much blue-line depth to fall back on. The Golden Knights are built to forecheck until somebody breaks, so the Ducks' third pair could be on the ice a lot more than anyone in Anaheim would like.
No price has been posted yet, so there's nothing to bet. The game itself is simple enough: Anaheim's new star and its thinned lineup against a Vegas team that has already played at home this fall, in a division that punishes slow starts.