NHL Odds, Preview, Prediction: Oilers vs Panthers Game 5 (Tuesday, June 18)
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Oilers vs. Panthers Odds
| Oilers Odds | +135 |
| Panthers Odds | -160 |
| Over / Under | 5.5 -105 / -115 |
Here's everything you need to know about the Oilers vs. Panthers odds for Game 5 on Tuesday, June 18 – our expert NHL prediction and pick.
Edmonton made quite a statement in its 8-1 victory over Florida in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, but was that the beginning of a comeback for the ages or a last hurrah?
The series returns to Florida with the Panthers holding a commanding 3-1 series lead while looking to close it out tonight.
Let's examine the state of each team before offering an Oilers vs. Panthers prediction.
Saturday's victory was pretty much an ideal performance from Edmonton. Connor McDavid was as effective as ever, providing a goal and four points, and now boasts an incredible 38 points through 22 playoff outings this year.
McDavid has set a new record for assists in a single postseason run at 32, surpassing the 31 Wayne Gretzky registered in 1987-88. He has also nearly doubled Aleksander Barkov, who leads the Panthers' playoff-scoring race with 21 points.
But Saturday's victory was much more than just the McDavid show. Seven different players found the back of the net for Edmonton, including Mattias Janmark, who got the scoring started with his shorthanded marker, and Darnell Nurse, who contributed his first marker of the postseason.
At the same time, Stuart Skinner had a strong game and stopped 32-of-33 shots. Skinner's .898 postseason save percentage leaves something to be desired, but he's been dominant at times, and the pressure of playing in an elimination setting doesn't seem to weigh on him.
At least it didn't seem to bother him or the Oilers on Saturday, but that was just the first step toward overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final.
Edmonton's offense is potent, and the Oilers are one of the most resilient teams in the league. The fact that they started the season 5-12-1 and are now in the Stanley Cup Final is proof enough of that.
The Oilers won a surreal 24-of-27 games during a Nov. 24-Jan. 27 stretch that featured a 16-game winning streak. Yes, getting victories this time of year, especially against an adversary like the Panthers, is a far greater challenge than any regular-season win, but this is still clearly not a team Florida can allow to get back into the series.
Sergei Bobrovsky needs a great game, but he could also use some help. The Panthers likely wouldn't have been up 3-0 in this series without him. Florida leaned on him hard in Game 1, when Bobrovsky's shutout effort handed Florida a win despite being outshot 32-18.
Florida could also use more out of Matthew Tkachuk offensively. He has just one assist through four games in this series and has a -5 rating over the past two contests. That's in stark contrast to his five goals and 19 points across 17 playoff appearances going into this series.
Carter Verhaeghe has also struggled. He scored the first goal of this series, but hasn't factored on the scoresheet since and is -6 in the Stanley Cup Final.
Florida doesn't have a forward who can match McDavid in terms of sheer offensive output, but as a collective, Florida is capable of matching Edmonton goal for goal. However, when Tkachuk and Verhaeghe, who finished second and fourth in the team's regular-season scoring race, go cold, it's hard for Florida to keep pace.
Oilers vs. Panthers
Betting Pick & Prediction
Even with Edmonton's potential and some areas of concern for the Panthers, it's important not to overstate the issues. At the end of the day, Florida is still up 3-1, and pulling off a reverse sweep is a near-impossible feat.
The home-ice advantage also can't be ignored. Florida had a 26-13-2 home record in the regular season and is 8-3 at Amerant Bank Arena in the playoffs.
The Panthers winning this contest wouldn't be a shocking outcome despite Edmonton's commanding play in Game 4, but I do expect the Oilers to at least put up a great fight. They seem to have gained confidence against Bobrovsky and should at least get some goals by him.
Meanwhile, Skinner is a constant X factor, but I anticipate the Panthers' forwards performing well at home.
For those reasons, I'd rather bet on Over 5.5 goals than select either squad on the moneyline. You can grab -105 odds at many sportsbooks, including bet365, DraftKings and ESPN BET.
Pick: Over 5.5 Goals (-105)
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