Oilers vs. Panthers Odds
| Oilers Odds | +124 |
| Panthers Odds | -148 |
| Over/Under | 5.5 -115o / -105u |
Here's everything you need to know about the Oilers vs Panthers odds for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, June 8 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
And it all comes down to this.
The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers face off in the Stanley Cup Final for a chance to hoist hockey's Holy Grail.
Both teams have looked exceptional throughout the playoffs. Florida made short work of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins and New York Rangers en route to the championship round. The Oilers, meanwhile, fended off challenges from the Los Angeles Kings, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars to make their first Stanley Cup Final since 2006.
Not surprisingly, these lineups are saturated with star power with the Panthers and Oilers featuring some of the most talented players in the NHL. Combined with their depth scoring, quality goaltending and rock-solid blue lines, hockey fans are guaranteed one of the best finals in recent memory.
The Panthers opened as short home favorites in the series opener on Saturday, but there may be more valuable entryways into the Oilers vs. Panthers Game 1 betting markets.
Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton's 2-9-1 start to the season seems like a distant memory at this point. Led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, the Oilers put together one of the most dominant regular seasons in recent memory. More importantly, they've translated that to tangible playoff success, something they've been unable to do under previous head coaches.
Game 6 of the Western Conference Final notwithstanding, Edmonton has gotten better as the postseason progressed. The Oilers dismantled the Stars in the third round, outplaying the Western Conference regular-season winners in four of their six outings.
Although a few flat efforts have tilted their playoff totals below average, the Oilers have shown that no one can keep up with them when they are at their best.
Head coach Kris Knoblauch is extracting maximum value from throughout his lineup. Eleven different players have recorded at least two playoff goals with five of those players averaging at least a point per game. Further, the Oilers have excelled at scoring across all strengths, tallying markers at 5-on-5, 4-on-4, on the power play, and on the penalty kill en route to a berth in the final.
But the Oilers might not be in this position if not for the goaltending of Stuart Skinner. The 2023 Calder Trophy runner-up stopped 72 of 76 shots in winning his last three starts, putting his teammates on his back to get them over their hump. In doing so, he may have elevated his save percentage beyond sustainable measures, implying that he could be due for regression early against the Panthers.
Still, we've seen Skinner rebound from sub-optimal outings throughout the postseason, and he should find his footing later in the series.
The Oilers have become an unstoppable force, and even with a letdown from Skinner, they could be poised to pull off the upset on Saturday night.
Florida Panthers
As we saw in the Eastern Conference Final, there may be no limit to the heights the Panthers offense can achieve.
Florida severely outplayed the Rangers in their third-round matchup, carrying that momentum into Saturday's clash at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.
The Panthers deployed a ferocious attack, recording 10 or more high-danger chances in five straight games. Over that stretch, they are averaging 13.8 quality opportunities per game. Granted, three of those contests made it to overtime. Still, Florida had reached the double-digit plateau in regulation in all but one of those contests.
As expected, the Panthers also produced an obscene amount of scoring chances across the five-game sample, averaging 29.6 per game.
In conjunction with their stout defensive efforts, the Panthers were analytics darlings in Round 3. Florida outplayed the Rangers in the final four games of the series, never falling below a 63.5% expected goals-for rating in any of those contests. Altogether, the two-time defending Eastern Conference Champions posted a cumulative 68.7% expected goals-for rating across the modest four-game stretch.
The Panthers have reminded everyone that they are the best team in the Eastern Conference, and there could be no stopping them in Game 1 against Edmonton.
Oilers vs. Panthers
Betting Pick & Prediction
With nearly a week to get ready for Saturday's series opener, both teams should be ready to rock when the puck drops in Florida. Although the moneyline prices haven't moved much off of opening, there are two other wagers to consider in this Stanley Cup Final opener on Saturday night.
First, bettors should unload on the Over 5.5 goals. Even though both teams have played with top-end defensive structure, the Panthers and Oilers can both score at will. Stuart Skinner could be due for a letdown, which is always the case when Sergei Bobrovsky takes to the ice in the playoffs.
Second, the series opener appears destined for overtime. Florida had a knack for dragging games into the extra period in the conference finals, and I expect that trend to carry into Game 1 against the Oilers.
We're taking a firm stance on Over 5.5 up to -120 while playing the overtime prop at +320 or better.
