Stanley Cup Final: Edmonton Oilers at Florida Panthers Game 1 odds, picks and predictions (2024)

The Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers meet Saturday in Game 1 of their best-of-7 Stanley Cup Final. Puck drop from Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Fla., is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET (ABC/ESPN+). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Oilers vs. Panthers odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.

The Oilers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006, when Edmonton lost to the Carolina Hurricanes in 7 games. Edmonton polished off the Los Angeles Kings in 5 games in the 1st round, before taking care of the Vancouver Canucks in 7 games in the 2nd round. In the Western Conference Final, the Oilers upended the Dallas Stars in 6 games, including wins in each of the previous 3 outings. The Under is on a 7-2-1 run in the past 10 postseason games for the Oilers, too.

Connor McDavid leads the team 26 assists and 31 points in just 18 postseason games, while chipping in with 5 goals, including 2 on the power play, with 12 assists on the man advantage. Leon Draisaitl has 10 goals with 28 points, while notching 6 power-play goals, and Evan Bouchard is nipping at their heels with 21 helpers and 27 points to go along with a team-high plus-14 rating.

The Panthers are back in the Stanley Cup Final for the 2nd straight season. They lost to the Vegas Golden Knights last season, and Florida has lost both times in the Stanley Cup Final in franchise history.

Florida pounded the Tampa Bay Lightning in 5 games in the 1st round, while dropping the Boston Bruins in 6 games in the 2nd round. In the Eastern Conference Final, the Cats eased by the Rangers in 6 games, with 3 games going to overtime or beyond, with the final 5 contests decided by a single goal.

• Game 1 best prop bets and predictions

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Oilers at Panthers odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated at 10:40 a.m. ET.

• Moneyline (ML): Oilers +120 (bet $100 to win $120) | Panthers -145 (bet $145 to win $100)
• Puck line (PL)/Against the spread (ATS): Oilers +1.5 (-225) | Panthers -1.5 (+185)
• Over/Under (O/U): 5.5 (O: -115 | U: -105)

Oilers at Panthers projected goalies

Stuart Skinner (11-5-0, 2.50 GAA, .897 SV%, 1 SO — 2024 playoffs) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (12-5-0, 2.20 GAA, .908 SV%, 1 SO — 2024 playoffs)

Skinner was benched for 2 games in the Vancouver series, and he was taking some serious heat early in the Dallas series before finishing up strong. He has allowed just 4 goals on 76 shots in the past 3 games, all victories by the Oilers. He has now allowed 2 or fewer goals in 7 of the past 8 outings since Game 6 of the Vancouver Canucks.

Bobrovsky allowed just 5 goals on 74 shots in the final 3 games of the Rangers series, winning each outing while allowing 2 or fewer goals in the 3 starts. Bob has allowed 2 or fewer goals in 10 of the past 11 outings, too, with 5 goals allowed in Game 3 of the ECF as the lone exception.

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Oilers at Panthers picks and predictions

Prediction

Panthers 3, Oilers 2

Moneyline

The PANTHERS (-145) are a good play in the series opener. The difference in Game 1 should be experience. Florida can tap into last season’s valuable experience playing in the Stanley Cup Final, while the Oilers (+120) haven’t played for hockey’s biggest prize since 2006.

While Florida is 6-3 in 9 postseason home games, it has managed to win just 3 times in the past 6 outings at Amerant Bank Arena.

Puck line/Against the spread

The Oilers +1.5 (-225) will set you back more than 2 times your potential return, and that’s quite risky. While Florida has played 5 consecutive 1-goal games, if you need a little insurance, taking Edmonton is quite expensive, and there is very little value. If you like the Oilers, just play them straight up.

PASS.

Over/Under

UNDER 5.5 (-105) is a solid play in Game 1.

Both of these teams have red-hot goaltenders, and each side should feel each other out early in this series as they get acclimated to a new opponent.

This is for all of the marbles, and while Florida was at this level last season, Edmonton will likely have some nerves going into the series opener. Goals should be at a premium.

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For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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